Calliphoridae
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Calliphoridae (commonly known as blow flies, blow-flies, carrion flies, bluebottles, greenbottles, or cluster flies) are a
family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
of insects in the order
Diptera Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...
, with almost 1,900 known species. The
maggot A maggot is the larva of a fly (order Diptera); it is applied in particular to the larvae of Brachycera flies, such as houseflies, cheese flies, and blowflies, rather than larvae of the Nematocera, such as mosquitoes and crane flies. ...
larvae, often used as fishing bait, are known as gentles. The family is known to be
polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of converg ...
, but much remains disputed regarding proper treatment of the constituent taxa, some of which are occasionally accorded family status (e.g., Bengaliidae and Helicoboscidae). The name blowfly comes from an older English term for meat that had eggs laid on it, which was said to be flyblown. The first known association of the term "blow" with flies appears in the plays of
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
: '' Love's Labour's Lost'', '' The Tempest'', and '' Antony and Cleopatra''.


Description


Characteristics

Calliphoridae adults are commonly shiny with metallic colouring, often with blue, green, or black thoraces and abdomens.
Antenna Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to: Science and engineering * Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves * Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...
e are three-segmented and aristate. The aristae are plumose their entire length, and the second antennal segment is distinctly grooved. Members of Calliphoridae have branched Rs 2 veins,
frontal suture The frontal suture is a fibrous joint that divides the two halves of the frontal bone of the skull in infants and children. Typically, it completely fuses between three and nine months of age, with the two halves of the frontal bone being fused t ...
s are present, and
calypter A calypter is either of two posterior lobes of the posterior margin of the forewing of flies between the extreme posterior wing base and the alula, which covers the halteres. The lower calypter is the proximal calypter (synonyms: squama (of som ...
s are well developed. The characteristics and arrangements of hairlike bristles are used to differentiate among members of this family. All blowflies have bristles located on the meron. Having two notopleural
bristle A bristle is a stiff hair or feather (natural or artificial), either on an animal, such as a pig, a plant, or on a tool such as a brush or broom. Synthetic types Synthetic materials such as nylon are also used to make bristles in items such as ...
s and a hindmost posthumeral bristle located lateral to presutural bristle are characteristics to look for when identifying this family. The thorax has the continuous dorsal suture across the middle, along with well-defined posterior calli. The postscutellum is absent or weakly developed. The costa is unbroken and the subcosta is apparent on the insect.


Development

Most species of blow flies studied thus far are
anautogenous In entomology, anautogeny is a reproductive strategy in which an adult female insect must eat a particular sort of meal (generally vertebrate blood) before laying eggs in order for her eggs to mature. This behavior is most common among dipteran ...
; a female requires a substantial amount of protein to develop mature eggs within her ovaries (about 800 µg per pair of ovaries in ''
Phormia regina ''Phormia regina'', the black blow fly, belongs to the blow fly family Calliphoridae and was first described by Johann Wilhelm Meigen. The black blow fly's wings are specialized with a sharp bend. These flies are also have well-developed calypt ...
''). The current theory is that females visit carrion both for protein and egg laying, but this remains to be proven. Blow fly eggs, usually yellowish or white in color, are about 1.5 mm × 0.4 mm, and when laid, look like rice grains. While the female blow fly typically lays 150–200 eggs per batch, she is usually
iteroparous Semelparity and iteroparity are two contrasting reproductive strategies available to living organisms. A species is considered semelparous if it is characterized by a single reproductive episode before death, and iteroparous if it is characteri ...
, laying around 2,000 eggs during the course of her life. The sex ratio of blow fly eggs is usually 50:50, but one exception is females from two species of the genus ''
Chrysomya ''Chrysomya'' is an Old World Calliphoridae, blow fly genus of the family Calliphoridae. The genus ''Chrysomya'' contains a number of species including ''Chrysomya rufifacies'' and ''Chrysomya megacephala''. The term “Old World blow fly” is ...
'' (''C. rufifacies'' and ''C. albiceps''), which are either arrhenogenic (laying only male offspring) or thelygenic (laying only female offspring). Hatching from an egg to the first larval stage takes about 8 hours to a day.
Larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...
e have three stages of development (
instar An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'', "form", "likeness") is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each moult (''ecdysis''), until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or ass ...
s); each stage is separated by a molting event. The instars are separable by examining the posterior spiracles, or openings to the breathing system. The larvae use
proteolytic Proteolysis is the breakdown of proteins into smaller polypeptides or amino acids. Uncatalysed, the hydrolysis of peptide bonds is extremely slow, taking hundreds of years. Proteolysis is typically catalysed by cellular enzymes called protease ...
enzymes in their excreta (as well as mechanical grinding by mouth hooks) to break down proteins on the livestock or corpse on which they are feeding. Blow flies are
poikilothermic A poikilotherm () is an animal whose internal temperature varies considerably. Poikilotherms have to survive and adapt to environmental stress. One of the most important stressors is temperature change, which can lead to alterations in membrane ...
– the rate at which they grow and develop is highly dependent on temperature and species. Under room temperature (about 20 °C), the black blow fly ''
Phormia regina ''Phormia regina'', the black blow fly, belongs to the blow fly family Calliphoridae and was first described by Johann Wilhelm Meigen. The black blow fly's wings are specialized with a sharp bend. These flies are also have well-developed calypt ...
'' can change from egg to pupa in 150–266 hours (six to 11 days). When the third larval stage is complete, it leaves the corpse and burrows into the ground to pupate, emerging as an adult 7–14 days later.


Food sources

Adult blowflies are occasional
pollinator A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains. Insects are the maj ...
s, being attracted to
flowers A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
with strong
odor An odor (American English) or odour (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds ...
s resembling rotting meat, such as the American pawpaw or dead horse arum. Little doubt remains that these flies use nectar as a source of carbohydrates to fuel flight, but just how and when this happens is unknown. One study showed the visual stimulus a blowfly receives from its
compound eye A compound eye is a visual organ found in arthropods such as insects and crustaceans. It may consist of thousands of ommatidia, which are tiny independent photoreception units that consist of a cornea, lens, and photoreceptor cells which disti ...
s is responsible for causing its legs to extend from its flight position and allow it to land on any surface. Larvae of most species are scavengers of carrion and dung, and most likely constitute the majority of the maggots found in such material, although they are not uncommonly found in close association with other dipterous larvae from the families
Sarcophagidae Sarcophagidae () are a family of flies commonly known as flesh flies. They differ from most flies in that they are ovoviviparous, opportunistically depositing hatched or hatching maggots instead of eggs on carrion, dung, decaying material, or o ...
and
Muscidae Muscidae are a family of flies found in the superfamily Muscoidea. Muscidae, some of which are commonly known as house flies or stable flies due to their synanthropy, are worldwide in distribution and contain almost 4,000 described species i ...
, and many other
acalyptrate muscoid The Acalyptratae or Acalyptrata are a subsection of the Schizophora, which are a section of the order Diptera, the "true flies". In various contexts the Acalyptratae also are referred to informally as the acalyptrate muscoids, or acalyptrates, ...
flies.


Predators

Predators of blow flies include spiders, beetles, frogs, and birds, including chickens.


Diversity

About 1,900 species of blow flies are known, with 120 species in the
Neotropics The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropics, tropical Ecoregion#Terrestrial, terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperat ...
, and a large number of species in Africa and Southern Europe. The typical habitats for blow flies are temperate to tropical areas that provide a layer of loose, damp soil and litter where larvae may thrive and pupate.


Genera

Sources: MYIA, FE, Nomina, A/O DC This is a selected list of genera from the
Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...
,
Nearctic The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America t ...
, Malaysia (Japan) and
Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...
: * ''
Abago ''Abago'' is a genus of flies from the family Calliphoridae. It is now considered a synonym of ''Calliphora ''Calliphora'' is a genus of blow flies, also known as bottle flies, found in most parts of the world, with the highest diversity in Au ...
'' Grunin, 1966 * '' Amenia'' Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 * '' Angioneura''
Brauer Brauer or Bräuer is a surname of German origin, meaning "brewer". Notable people with the name include:- * Alfred Brauer (1894–1985), German-American mathematician, brother of Richard * Andreas Brauer (born 1973), German film producer * Arik ...
& Bergenstamm, 1893
* '' Apaulina'' Hall, 1948 * '' Cynomya'' Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 * '' Aphyssura'' Hardy, 1940 * '' Auchmeromyia''
Brauer Brauer or Bräuer is a surname of German origin, meaning "brewer". Notable people with the name include:- * Alfred Brauer (1894–1985), German-American mathematician, brother of Richard * Andreas Brauer (born 1973), German film producer * Arik ...
& Bergenstamm, 1891
* '' Bellardia'' Robineau-Desvoidy, 1863 * ''
Bengalia ''Bengalia'' is a genus of blow flies in the family Calliphoridae with one authority considering the genus to belong to a separate family Bengaliidae.Lehrer, A.Z., 2003, Bengaliidae n. fam. Une nouvelle famille de Diptera Cyclorrhapha. Entom. Croa ...
'' Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 * '' Booponus'' Aldrich, 1923 * '' Boreellus'' Aldrich & Shannon, 1923 * '' Caiusa'' Surcouf, 1920 * ''
Calliphora ''Calliphora'' is a genus of blow flies, also known as bottle flies, found in most parts of the world, with the highest diversity in Australia. The most widespread species in North America area ''Calliphora livida'', '' C. vicina'', and '' C. vo ...
'' Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 * '' Callitroga'' Hall, 1948 * '' Catapicephala'' Macquart, 1851 * '' Chloroprocta'' Wulp, 1896 * ''
Chrysomya ''Chrysomya'' is an Old World Calliphoridae, blow fly genus of the family Calliphoridae. The genus ''Chrysomya'' contains a number of species including ''Chrysomya rufifacies'' and ''Chrysomya megacephala''. The term “Old World blow fly” is ...
'' Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 * ''
Cochliomyia ''Cochliomyia'' is a genus in the family Calliphoridae, known as blowflies, in the order Diptera. ''Cochliomyia'' is commonly referred to as the New World screwworm flies, as distinct from Old World screwworm flies. Four species are in this genu ...
''
Townsend Townsend (pronounced tounʹ-zənd) or Townshend may refer to: Places United States *Camp Townsend, National Guard training base in Peekskill, New York *Townsend, Delaware *Townsend, Georgia *Townsend, Massachusetts, a New England town ** Townsend ...
, 1915
* ''
Compsomyiops ''Compsomyiops'' is a genus of blowflies, in the family Calliphoridae. Species The following species are accepted in the genus ''Compsomyiops'': *''Compsomyiops alvarengai'' (Mello, 1968) *''Compsomyiops boliviana'' (Mello, 1968) *''Compsomyio ...
''
Townsend Townsend (pronounced tounʹ-zənd) or Townshend may refer to: Places United States *Camp Townsend, National Guard training base in Peekskill, New York *Townsend, Delaware *Townsend, Georgia *Townsend, Massachusetts, a New England town ** Townsend ...
, 1918
* ''
Cordylobia ''Cordylobia'' is a genus of flies from the family Calliphoridae. The larvae of ''Cordylobia'' are parasitic on mammals, especially rodents. Two species, '' C. anthropophaga'' (the tumbu fly) and '' C. rodhaini'' (Lund's fly), also are known as p ...
'' Gruenberg, 1903 * '' Cyanus'' Hall, 1948 * '' Dyscritomyia'' Grimshaw, 1901 * '' Eggisops'' Rondani, 1862 * '' Eucalliphora''
Townsend Townsend (pronounced tounʹ-zənd) or Townshend may refer to: Places United States *Camp Townsend, National Guard training base in Peekskill, New York *Townsend, Delaware *Townsend, Georgia *Townsend, Massachusetts, a New England town ** Townsend ...
, 1908
* '' Eumesembrinella''
Townsend Townsend (pronounced tounʹ-zənd) or Townshend may refer to: Places United States *Camp Townsend, National Guard training base in Peekskill, New York *Townsend, Delaware *Townsend, Georgia *Townsend, Massachusetts, a New England town ** Townsend ...
, 1931
* '' Eurychaeta''
Brauer Brauer or Bräuer is a surname of German origin, meaning "brewer". Notable people with the name include:- * Alfred Brauer (1894–1985), German-American mathematician, brother of Richard * Andreas Brauer (born 1973), German film producer * Arik ...
& Bergenstamm, 1891
* '' Euphumosia'' Malloch, 1926 * '' Hemilucilia''
Brauer Brauer or Bräuer is a surname of German origin, meaning "brewer". Notable people with the name include:- * Alfred Brauer (1894–1985), German-American mathematician, brother of Richard * Andreas Brauer (born 1973), German film producer * Arik ...
, 1895
* '' Hemipyrellia''
Townsend Townsend (pronounced tounʹ-zənd) or Townshend may refer to: Places United States *Camp Townsend, National Guard training base in Peekskill, New York *Townsend, Delaware *Townsend, Georgia *Townsend, Massachusetts, a New England town ** Townsend ...
, 1918
* '' Lucilia'' Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 * '' Melanomya'' Rondani, 1856 * ''
Melinda Melinda is a feminine given name. Etymology The modern name ''Melinda'' is a combination of "Mel" with the suffix "-inda". "Mel" can be derived from names such as Melanie meaning "dark, black" in Greek, or from Melissa (μέλισσα) meaning ...
'' Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 * '' Mufetiella'' Villeneuve, 1933 * ''
Nesodexia ''Nesodexia'' is a genus of flies tentatively assigned to the family Polleniidae Polleniidae is a family of flies in the order Diptera. There are at least 6 genera and more than 190 described species placed definitively in Polleniidae, and ot ...
'' Villeneuve, 1911 * '' Neta'' Shannon, 1926 * '' Onesia'' Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 * '' Opsodexia''
Townsend Townsend (pronounced tounʹ-zənd) or Townshend may refer to: Places United States *Camp Townsend, National Guard training base in Peekskill, New York *Townsend, Delaware *Townsend, Georgia *Townsend, Massachusetts, a New England town ** Townsend ...
, 1915
* '' Pachychoeromyia'' Villeneuve, 1920 * '' Paralucilia''
Brauer Brauer or Bräuer is a surname of German origin, meaning "brewer". Notable people with the name include:- * Alfred Brauer (1894–1985), German-American mathematician, brother of Richard * Andreas Brauer (born 1973), German film producer * Arik ...
& Bergenstamm, 1891
* '' Paramenia''
Brauer Brauer or Bräuer is a surname of German origin, meaning "brewer". Notable people with the name include:- * Alfred Brauer (1894–1985), German-American mathematician, brother of Richard * Andreas Brauer (born 1973), German film producer * Arik ...
& Bergenstamm, 1889
* '' Paraplatytropesa'' Crosskey, 1965 * ''
Phormia ''Phormia regina'', the black blow fly, belongs to the blow fly family Calliphoridae and was first described by Johann Wilhelm Meigen. The black blow fly's wings are specialized with a sharp bend. These flies are also have well-developed calypt ...
'' Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 * '' Phumosia'' Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 * '' Platytropesa'' Macquart, 1851 * '' Polleniopsis''
Townsend Townsend (pronounced tounʹ-zənd) or Townshend may refer to: Places United States *Camp Townsend, National Guard training base in Peekskill, New York *Townsend, Delaware *Townsend, Georgia *Townsend, Massachusetts, a New England town ** Townsend ...
, 1917
* '' Prosthetosoma'' Silvestri, 1920 * ''
Protocalliphora ''Protocalliphora'' or bird blowflies are a blow fly genus containing many species which are obligate parasites of birds. Eggs are laid in bird nests. After hatching, the larvae suck the blood of nestlings. They sometimes feed inside the nostril ...
'' Hough, 1899 * '' Protophormia''
Townsend Townsend (pronounced tounʹ-zənd) or Townshend may refer to: Places United States *Camp Townsend, National Guard training base in Peekskill, New York *Townsend, Delaware *Townsend, Georgia *Townsend, Massachusetts, a New England town ** Townsend ...
, 1908
* '' Ptilonesia'' Bezzi, 1927 * '' Rhynchoestrus'' Séguy, 1926 * '' Sarconesia''
Bigot Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, age, rel ...
, 1857
* '' Silbomyia'' Macquart, 1843 * '' Stilbomyella'' Malloch, 1935 * '' Toxotarsus'' Macquart, 1851 * '' Triceratopyga'' Rohdendorf, 1931 * '' Tricyclea'' Wulp, 1885 * '' Tricycleopsis'' Villeneuve, 1927 * '' Trypocalliphora'' Peus, 1960 * '' Xenocalliphora'' Malloch, 1924


Economic importance


Myiasis

Blowflies have caught the interest of researchers in a variety of fields, although the large body of literature on calliphorids has been concentrated on solving the problem of
myiasis Myiasis is the parasitic infestation of the body of a live animal by fly larvae (maggots) which grow inside the host while feeding on its tissue. Although flies are most commonly attracted to open wounds and urine- or feces-soaked fur, some spe ...
in livestock. The sheep blowfly ''
Lucilia cuprina ''Lucilia cuprina'', formerly named ''Phaenicia cuprina'', the Australian sheep blowfly is a blow fly in the family Calliphoridae. It causes the condition known as "sheep strike"'. The female fly locates a sheep with ideal conditions, such as an ...
'' causes the Australian sheep industry an estimated AU$170 million a year in losses. The most common causes of myiasis in humans and animals are the three dipteran families Oestridae, Calliphoridae, and
Sarcophagidae Sarcophagidae () are a family of flies commonly known as flesh flies. They differ from most flies in that they are ovoviviparous, opportunistically depositing hatched or hatching maggots instead of eggs on carrion, dung, decaying material, or o ...
. Myiasis in humans is clinically categorized in six ways: dermal and subdermal, facial cavity, wound or trauma, gastrointestinal, vaginal, and generalized. If found in humans, the
diptera Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...
n larvae are usually in their first instar. The only treatment necessary is just to remove the maggots, and the patient heals naturally. Whilst not strictly a myiasis species, the Congo floor maggot feeds on mammal blood, occasionally human.


Screwworms

The New World primary screwworm (''
Cochliomyia hominivorax ''Cochliomyia hominivorax'', the New World screw-worm fly, or screw-worm for short, is a species of parasitic fly that is well known for the way in which its larvae (maggots) eat the living tissue of warm-blooded animals. It is present in the ...
''), once a major pest in
Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
, has been eradicated from the United States, Mexico, and Central America through an extensive release program by the USDA of sterilized males. The USDA maintains a sterile screwworm fly production plant and release program in the eastern half of the Republic of
Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
to keep fertile screwworms from migrating north. Currently, this species is limited to lowland tropical countries in South America and some Caribbean islands. The Old World primary screwworm (''
Chrysomya bezziana ''Chrysomya bezziana'', also known as the Old World screwworm fly or screwworm, is an obligate parasite of mammals. Obligate parasitic flies require a host to complete their development. Named to honor the Italian entomologist Mario Bezzi, this ...
'') is an
obligate parasite An obligate parasite or holoparasite is a parasitic organism that cannot complete its life-cycle without exploiting a suitable host. If an obligate parasite cannot obtain a host it will fail to reproduce. This is opposed to a facultative parasite, ...
of mammals. This fly is distributed throughout the Old World, including Southeast Asia, tropical and subtropical Africa, some countries in the Middle East, India, the
Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...
, the Indonesian and
Philippine Islands The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
, and Papua New Guinea. The secondary screwworm (''
Cochliomyia macellaria ''Cochliomyia macellaria'', also known as the secondary screwworm, is a species of blow fly in the family Calliphoridae. These screwworms are referred to as "secondary" because they typically infest wounds after invasion by primary myiasis-ca ...
'') has become one of the principal species on which to base ''post mortem'' interval estimations because its succession and occurrence on decomposing remains has been well defined. The secondary screwworm is found throughout the United States and the American tropics, and in southern Canada during summers. This species is one of the most common species found on decomposing remains in the US South.


Maggot therapy

Maggot debridement therapy Maggot therapy (also known as larval therapy) is a type of biotherapy involving the introduction of live, disinfected maggots (fly larvae) into non-healing skin and soft-tissue wounds of a human or other animal for the purpose of cleaning out th ...
(MDT) is the medical use of selected, laboratory-raised fly larvae for cleaning nonhealing wounds. Medicinal maggots perform
debridement Debridement is the medical removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue to improve the healing potential of the remaining healthy tissue. Removal may be surgical, mechanical, chemical, autolytic (self-digestion), and by maggot therapy. In p ...
by selectively eating only dead tissue. ''
Lucilia sericata The common green bottle fly (''Lucilia sericata'') is a blowfly found in most areas of the world and is the most well-known of the numerous green bottle fly species. Its body is in length – slightly larger than a house fly – and has brilli ...
'' (''Phaenicia sericata''), or the common green bottlefly, is the preferred species used in maggot therapy. MDT can be used to treat pressure ulcers, diabetic foot wounds, venous stasis ulcers, and postsurgical wounds.


Disease

Adults may be vectors of pathogens of diseases such as
dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...
. Flies, most commonly Calliphoridae, have frequently been associated with disease transmission in humans and animals, as well as myiasis. Studies and research have linked ''
Calliphora ''Calliphora'' is a genus of blow flies, also known as bottle flies, found in most parts of the world, with the highest diversity in Australia. The most widespread species in North America area ''Calliphora livida'', '' C. vicina'', and '' C. vo ...
'' and '' Lucilia'' to vectors of causal agents of bacterial infections. These larvae, commonly seen on decaying bodies, feed on carrion while the adults can be
necrophagous Scavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While scavenging generally refers to carnivores feeding on carrion, it is also a herbivorous feeding b ...
or vegetative. During the process of decay,
microorganism A microorganism, or microbe,, ''mikros'', "small") and ''organism'' from the el, ὀργανισμός, ''organismós'', "organism"). It is usually written as a single word but is sometimes hyphenated (''micro-organism''), especially in olde ...
s (e.g. '' Mycobacterium'') may be released through the body. Flies arrive at the scene and lay their eggs. The larvae begin eating and breaking down the corpse, simultaneously ingesting these organisms which is the first step of one transmission route. The bacterium which causes
paratuberculosis Paratuberculosis is a contagious, chronic and sometimes fatal infection that primarily affects the small intestine of ruminants. It is caused by the bacterium ''Mycobacterium avium'' subspecies ''paratuberculosis''. Infections normally affect ru ...
in cattle, pigs and birds (''M. a. avium'') has been isolated and recovered from these flies through several different experiments. Other potential and threatening diseases include
rabbit haemorrhagic disease Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD), also known as viral hemorrhagic disease (VHD), is a highly infectious and lethal form of viral hepatitis that affects European rabbits. Some viral strains also affect hares and cottontail rabbits. Mortality rate ...
in New Zealand and
flystrike Myiasis is the parasitic infestation of the body of a live animal by fly larvae (maggots) which grow inside the host while feeding on its tissue. Although flies are most commonly attracted to open wounds and urine- or feces-soaked fur, some sp ...
. Although strike is not limited to blow flies, these maggots are a major source of this skin invasion, causing lesions, which, if severe enough, may be lethal. Strike starts when blow flies lay eggs in a wound or fecal material present on the sheep. When the maggots hatch, they begin feeding on the sheep and thus irritating it. As soon as the first wave of maggots hatch, they attract more blow flies, causing the strike. Insecticides are available for blow fly prevention (typically containing
cypermethrin Cypermethrin (CP) is a synthetic pyrethroid used as an insecticide in large-scale commercial agricultural applications as well as in consumer products for domestic purposes. It behaves as a fast-acting neurotoxin in insects. It is easily degrad ...
), and precautionary measures may be taken, such as docking tails, shearing, and keeping the sheep healthy overall.
Salmonellosis Salmonellosis, more commonly known as food poisoning is a symptomatic infection caused by bacteria of the ''Salmonella'' type. It is also a food-borne disease and are defined as diseases, usually either infectious or toxic in nature, caused by a ...
has also been proven to be transmitted by the blow fly through saliva, feces and direct contact by the flies' tarsi. Adult flies may be able to spread pathogens via their sponging mouthparts, vomit, intestinal tract, sticky pads of their feet, or even their body or leg hairs. As the flies are vectors of many diseases, the importance of identifying the transmissible agents, the route of transmission, and prevention and treatments in the event of contact are becoming increasingly important. With the ability to lay hundreds of eggs in a lifetime and the presence of thousands of larvae at a time in such close proximity, the potential for transmission is high, especially at ideal temperatures.


Pollination

Calliphoridae are, alongside managed and wild bees, likely to be the main crop
pollinating Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds, a ...
insect. They visit (and thus may pollinate) flowers of a wide range of plants, including crop plants (e.g.
avocado The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family ( Lauraceae). It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Then as now it was prized for ...
,
mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...
,
onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...
,
leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of ''Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus ''Alli ...
,
carrot The carrot ('' Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') is a root vegetable, typically orange in color, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild carrot, ''Daucus carota'', nat ...
, cauliflower). Their sponging mouthparts mean that when visiting flowers, their head and upper body must broadly contact the inside of the flower. They have numerous hairs, including on the head and thorax, which may help them carry
pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...
, and indeed calliphorids in the wild have been observed carrying large amounts of pollen. Compared to
honey bee A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current co ...
s, blow flies are active under a broader range of environmental conditions. However, it is unknown how their pollination abilities compare to those of bees, there are few studies assessing their contribution to pollination, and the exact species that pollinate are often not identified.


Forensic importance

Blow flies are usually the first insects to come in contact with
carrion Carrion () is the decaying flesh of dead animals, including human flesh. Overview Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters (or scavengers) include crows, vultures, c ...
because they have the ability to smell dead animal matter from up to away. Upon reaching the carrion, females deposit eggs on it. Since development is highly predictable if the ambient temperature is known, blow flies are considered a valuable tool in
forensic science Forensic science, also known as criminalistics, is the application of science to criminal and civil laws, mainly—on the criminal side—during criminal investigation, as governed by the legal standards of admissible evidence and criminal ...
. Blow flies are used forensically to estimate the minimum ''post mortem'' interval (PMImin) for human corpses. Traditional estimations of time since death are generally unreliable after 72 hours and often
entomologists Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...
are the only officials capable of generating an accurate approximate time interval. The specialized discipline related to this practice is known as
forensic entomology Forensic entomology is the scientific study of the colonization of a dead body by arthropods. This includes the study of insect types commonly associated with cadavers, their respective life cycles, their ecological presences in a given environme ...
. In addition to being used to estimate the PMImin, assuming colonization occurred after death, blow fly specimens found infesting a human corpse are used to determine if the corpse was relocated or if the individual ingested narcotics prior to death. ''
Calliphora vicina ''Calliphora vicina'' is a member of the family Calliphoridae, which includes blow flies and bottle flies. These flies are important in the field of forensic entomology, being used to estimate the time of a person's death when a corpse is found a ...
'' and '' Cynomya mortuorum'' are important flies of forensic entomology. Other forensically important Calliphoridae are ''
Phormia regina ''Phormia regina'', the black blow fly, belongs to the blow fly family Calliphoridae and was first described by Johann Wilhelm Meigen. The black blow fly's wings are specialized with a sharp bend. These flies are also have well-developed calypt ...
'', '' Calliphora vomitoria'', ''
Calliphora livida ''Calliphora livida'' is a member of the family Calliphoridae, the blow flies. This large family includes the genus ''Calliphora'', the "blue bottle flies". This genus is important in the field of forensic entomology because of its value in post- ...
'', ''
Lucilia cuprina ''Lucilia cuprina'', formerly named ''Phaenicia cuprina'', the Australian sheep blowfly is a blow fly in the family Calliphoridae. It causes the condition known as "sheep strike"'. The female fly locates a sheep with ideal conditions, such as an ...
'', ''
Lucilia sericata The common green bottle fly (''Lucilia sericata'') is a blowfly found in most areas of the world and is the most well-known of the numerous green bottle fly species. Its body is in length – slightly larger than a house fly – and has brilli ...
'', ''
Lucilia illustris ''Lucilia illustris'' is a member of the fly family Calliphoridae, commonly known as a blow fly. Along with several other species, ''L. illustris'' is commonly referred to as a green bottle fly. ''Lucilia illustris'' is typically 6–9 mm i ...
'', ''
Chrysomya rufifacies ''Chrysomya rufifacies'' is a species belonging to the blow fly family, Calliphoridae, and is most significant in the field of forensic entomology due to its use in establishing or altering ''post mortem ''intervals. The common name for the spe ...
'', ''
Chrysomya megacephala ''Chrysomya megacephala'', more commonly known as the oriental latrine fly or oriental blue fly, is a member of the family Calliphoridae (blowflies). It is a warm-weather fly with a greenish-blue metallic box-like body. The fly infests corpses so ...
'', ''
Cochliomyia macellaria ''Cochliomyia macellaria'', also known as the secondary screwworm, is a species of blow fly in the family Calliphoridae. These screwworms are referred to as "secondary" because they typically infest wounds after invasion by primary myiasis-ca ...
'', and ''
Protophormia terraenovae ''Protophormia terraenovae'' is commonly called northern blowfly, blue-bottle fly or blue-assed fly (blue-arsed fly in British English). It is distinguished by its deep blue coloration and large size and is an important species throughout the No ...
''. One myth states that species from the genus '' Lucilia'' can sense death and show up right before it even occurs.


References


Identification

*
Fritz Konrad Ernst Zumpt Fritz Konrad Ernst Zumpt (11 May 1908 – 25 October 1985) was a German entomologist who worked mainly in Ethiopia, but also to a lesser extent in Uganda, Ghana and Mozambique. He is best known for his work on Diptera and the associations between ...
Calliphorinae, in Lindner, E. ''Fliegen Palaearkt. Reg''. 64i, 140 p. (1956) * Fan, C. T. ''Key to the common synanthropic flies of China''. Peking Beijing xv + 330 p. In Chinese but really excellent illustrations. (1965). * Kano, R. and Shinonaga, S. ''Calliphoridae (Insecta: Diptera) (Fauna Japonica)'', Tokyo Biogeographical Society of Japan, Tokyo.( 1968). In English. * Lehrer, A. Z., Diptera. Familia ''Calliphoridae''. In: Fauna R.S.R., Insecta, vol. XI,(12), Edit. R.S.R., Bucuresti, 1972, 245 p. In Romanian. * Rognes, K. ''Blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of Fennoscandia and Denmark''.
Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica ''Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica'' is a scientific book series of entomological identification manuals for insects (and other terrestrial arthropods) in North-West Europe, mainly Fennoscandia and Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian s ...
, Volume 24. E. J. Brill/Scandinavian Science Press Ltd. Leiden.(1991).


External links

* *
Image Gallery


on the
University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
/
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is a teaching, research and Extension scientific organization focused on agriculture and natural resources. It is a partnership of federal, state, and county governmen ...
''Featured Creatures'' website {{Authority control Brachycera families Insect vectors of animal pathogens Insect vectors of human pathogens Taxa named by Friedrich Moritz Brauer Taxa named by Julius von Bergenstamm ko:검정파리