''Muscina stabulans'' (formerly ''Curtonevra stabulans''), commonly known as the false stable fly, is a

fly Flies are insects of the Order (biology), order Diptera, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwing ...

from the

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 ...

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 ...

Description

As an adult, ''Muscina stabulans'' has partially reddish-brown legs, four characteristic dark stripes along the

thorax The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the cre ...

region, and a pale spot above the

. These flies average 8 millimeters (0.3 inches) in length."False Stable Fly." North Carolina IPM. 20 Mar. 2009 The

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the torso. ...

is either entirely black or black with red sides. Its head ranges in color from a dark-grey to a whitish hue."Fly Control In Confined Livestock And Poultry Production - Novartis Animal Health Inc." The Control Of Flies On Livestock And Poultry Farms - Novartis Animal Health Inc. 20 Mar. 2009 Circular spiracular plates can be found separated by about one plate's width in the posterior area. Larvae are dullish-white in colour, 6–7 mm long and 1–1.5 mm wide. They consist of 11 segments, with all but the last having a belt of small, well-developed spines going towards the posterior margins. The pseudo-cephalic segment has two hooks. The posterior spiracles have curved spiracular slits.

Habitat

The false stable fly was found in a study determining synanthropy (ecological association with humans) of adult

collected in urban, rural and natural environments in

Valdivia Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and Cau-Cau R ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

. According to the study, ''M. stabulans'' are mostly found in rural and natural neighborhoods, and rarely inhabit cities. The distribution of ''Muscina'' species tends to be spread throughout the United States. For the most part, ''M. stabulans'' is active year-round, but fly activity tends to peak in the summer months, when the number of generation cycles also peak. The habitat of ''M. stabulans'' is similar to that of the house fly, ''

Musca domestica The housefly (''Musca domestica'') is a fly of the suborder Cyclorrhapha. It is believed to have evolved in the Cenozoic Era, possibly in the Middle East, and has spread all over the world as a commensal of humans. It is the most common f ...

''. False stable flies have been spotted in animal housing, such as poultry houses, as well as in the

mucosal A mucous membrane or mucosa is a membrane that lines various cavities in the body of an organism and covers the surface of internal organs. It consists of one or more layers of epithelial cells overlying a layer of loose connective tissue. It is ...

linings of mammalian intestines. They can be found on carrion in various decomposition stages, but they exhibit a strong preference for the later stages of

decomposition Decomposition or rot is the process by which dead organic substances are broken down into simpler organic or inorganic matter such as carbon dioxide, water, simple sugars and mineral salts. The process is a part of the nutrient cycle and is e ...

. They are able to reach a buried body in shallow ground through several inches of dirt.

Diet

Larvae of false stable fly consume various kinds of decomposing material, including fruit, fungi, excrement and

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 ...

Myiasis

There have been rare instances of myiasis linked to ''M. stabulans''. A twenty-year-old male from a rural part of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

was reported with a rare case of

intestinal The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans ...

myiasis. Symptoms included abdominal discomfort, bloated abdomen, and intestinal hurrying after meals. His stool sample was watery and contained sparse fecal matter, but it was littered with

maggots 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. Entomol ...

. A repeat sample two hours later also displayed positive signs of maggots. These maggots were submitted to the Vector Control Research Center (VCRC) in

Puducherry Puducherry or Pondicherry may refer to: * Puducherry (union territory), a union territory of India ** Pondicherry, capital of the union territory of Puducherry ** Puducherry district, a district of the union territory of Puducherry ** Puducherry t ...

and identified as ''M. stabulans''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6940262 Muscidae Diptera of Europe Insects described in 1817