''Musca vetustissima'', commonly known as the Australian bush fly, is a species of fly found in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. It is the specific fly that has given rise to the expression "
Aussie salute
The Aussie salute, otherwise known as the Barcoo salute (named after the region around Barcoo River, Queensland), is the gesture commonly deployed all across Australia to deter bush flies (''Musca vetustissima''Milewski, Antoni. A new perspecti ...
".
Description
The Australian bush fly is a
dung fly that is closely related to the
bazaar fly (''M. sorbens''). The adults are attracted to large
mammal
Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...
s for fluid for nourishment and feces for
oviposition
The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typical ...
.
A study showed that there is a low survival rate for eggs and larvae of this species in cattle feces because of infrequent rainfall. The study also showed that parasites and predators have caused a low survival rate. According to a study, the Australian bush fly can spread harmful
bacteria. The Australian bush fly can also spread the
pathogens ''
Salmonella
''Salmonella'' is a genus of rod-shaped (bacillus) Gram-negative bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The two species of ''Salmonella'' are ''Salmonella enterica'' and ''Salmonella bongori''. ''S. enterica'' is the type species and is fur ...
'' and ''
Shigella''. Most of the bacterial populations per fly occurred in a farm environment, while an urban environment was the lowest. A standard composition that contains small amounts of
trimethylamine and
indole, blended with large amounts of
ammonium sulfate and anchovy meal, attracts the Australian bush fly. A wind-oriented trap has been used to catch this species. The number of
ovarioles in females probably have to do with how big they are. If females do not obtain enough dietary
protein, the maturation of their eggs will stop. This fly likes to crawl on human faces, as well as on the faces of
livestock. It also likes to crawl on human and livestock feces, though it seems that it prefers human feces.
Life cycle
The Australian bush fly breeds in large numbers in dung pads.
Larvae have been found in the feces of large mammals. The species continually breeds in subtropical Australia, and
migrations help repopulate Australia each spring.
In a study, a mixture of
levamisole and
oxfendazole killed larvae in sheep feces.
See also
*
Dung beetle
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3328282
Muscidae
Insects of Australia
Insects described in 1849
Diptera of Australasia