Explanation of Names
Musca autumnalis De Geer 1776
Identification
similar to the housefly, especially the female, but eyes closer together and body more rounded; male has more orange on abdomen
(1)Range
Eurasia, parts of North Africa; introduced into North America ca. 1940s, now spread from so. Canada and temperate parts of the US
Habitat
larvae in cow dung pats; adults likes to sunbathe on walls and fences
(1)Food
Adult females feed on secretions from mucus membranes on cattle & horse faces, and on blood of wounds caused by horse fly & deer fly bites
Life Cycle
Usually 12-20 days depending on temperature
(1); eggs and larvae develop in fresh (not crusted over) cattle dung; adults often overwinter in homes and other structures near pastures.
In the summer, these flies feed on cattle; adult males feed on nectar. Females need blood and glucose as long as their ovaries are undeveloped; gravid females do not feed at all.
(2)
In fall, the ovaries of the last generation of flies fail to develop and both sexes feed only on nectar. Their bodies swell and abdomens distend and feeding stops.In the summer, these flies feed on cattle; adult males feed on nectar.
(2)
In winter, fat is utilized and the bodies shrink.
(2)
In spring, diapause is over and flies feed on nectar until cattle are put to pasture.
(2)Remarks
serious pest of cattle and horses; in summer, adults annoy the faces of cattle and horses, where they lap exudation from the eyes, nostrils and mouth