Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
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Blow Flies (Calliphoridae)
Family Calliphoridae - Blow Flies
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia (Animals)
Phylum
Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum
Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class
Insecta (Insects)
Order
Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon
(Calyptratae)
Superfamily
Oestroidea
Family
Calliphoridae (Blow Flies)
Other Common Names
Bluebottle and Greenbottle Flies
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
para- or polyphyletic
(
1
)
Explanation of Names
Calliphoridae Brauer & Bergenstamm 1889
see
Calliphora
Numbers
84 spp. in 17 genera of 5 subfamilies in our area
(
2
)
, >1,500 spp. in ~100 genera worldwide
(
1
)
Identification
keys to NA genera and species in
(
3
)
(
2
)
keys to eastern genera and most species in
(
4
)
key to KY spp. in
(
5
)
Habitat
very common in a wide variety of habitats, including heavily urbanized areas
Food
scavengers (larvae in carrion, excrement, etc.) or parasites
(
6
)
Remarks
Commonly seen "basking" on the exterior walls of buildings (flesh flies also have this habit). Some cause myiasis in humans and livestock.
(
6
)
Works Cited
1.
Order Diptera Linnaeus, 1758. In: Zhang Z.-Q. (ed.) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification...
Pape T., Blagoderov V., Mostovski M.B. 2011. Zootaxa 3148: 222–229.
2.
Keys to the genera and species of blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of America north of Mexico
Whitworth T.L. 2006. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 108: 689–725.
3.
Blow flies of North America: Keys to the subfamilies and genera of Calliphoridae, and to the species of the subfamilies...
Jones N., Whitworth T., Marshall S.A. 2019. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification 39: 1-191.
4.
Blow flies (Diptera;Calliphoridae) of eastern Canada with a key to Calliphoridae subfamilies and genera of eastern North America
Marshall S.A., Whitworth T., Roscoe L. 2011. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification 11: 1-93.
5.
Identification Key to the Common Forensically Important Adult Flies (Diptera) of Northern Kentucky
6.
Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects
Norman F. Johnson, Charles A. Triplehorn. 2004. Brooks Cole.
Contributed by
john and jane balaban
on 19 September, 2004 - 2:03pm
Additional contributions by
cotinis
,
Bug Eric
,
John VanDyk
,
Beatriz Moisset
,
anitagould
,
Bbarnd
,
kschnei
,
v belov
Last updated 4 April, 2020 - 12:29pm