Species Pollenia rudis

Classification · Identification · Range · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon (Calyptratae)

Superfamily Oestroidea

Family Calliphoridae (Blow Flies)

Genus Pollenia (Cluster flies)

Species rudis (Pollenia rudis)

Identification

Adults are slightly larger than house flies (Musca domestica), dull grey with black markings and golden-yellow hairs on thorax. The hairs are more numerous on the underside, near the legs.

Range

Life Cycle

The immature stages, eggs and larvae, are are seldom seen because they are deposited on the soil and they burrow into earthworms which they parasitize. Maggots are cream colored, elongated and wedge shaped.

Remarks

They are thought to be from Europe and that they may have found their way to America in the ballast of ships containing soil.

Internet References

Ohio State University fact sheet

Penn State University

Contributed by Beatriz Moisset on 26 October, 2004 - 10:37am
Last updated 20 May, 2008 - 8:37pm

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