The cheese fly ('' Piophila casei'') is a species of fly whose larvae are known for infesting human

foodstuff Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is in ...

s including cured meats, smoked or salted fish, cheeses and also

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 ...

. The

larvae 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. T ...

of this fly are known as cheese skippers, bacon skippers, ham skippers, etc. due to their ability to launch themselves several inches into the air when alarmed or disturbed. In the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on th ...

island of

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label= Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label= Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, af ...

, the larvae are intentionally introduced into

pecorino Pecorino cheeses are Types of cheese#Semi-hard or hard cheese, hard Italian cuisine, Italian cheeses made from Sheep milk, sheep's milk. The name "" derives from ''pecora'' which means sheep in Italian language, Italian. Overview Of the six mai ...

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During product ...

to produce the characteristic ''

casu marzu (; literally 'rotten/putrid cheese'), sometimes spelled , and also called , and in Sardinian, is a traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese that contains live insect larvae ( maggots). A variation of this cheese exists also in Corsica ( Fr ...

'' ("rotten cheese" in

Sardinian language Sardinian or Sard ( , or ) is a Romance languages, Romance language spoken by the Sardinians on the Western Mediterranean island of Sardinia. Many Romance linguists consider it the language that is closest to Latin among all its genealogica ...

). When consumed, the larvae can survive in the

intestine 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 a ...

, causing

enteric 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 a ...

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 s ...

Description

Mesonotum The mesothorax is the middle of the three segments of the thorax of hexapods, and bears the second pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the mesonotum (dorsal), the mesosternum (ventral), and the mesopleuron (lateral) on ...

finely shagreened, not pubescent and with three lines of longitudinal chaetules. "Soies ocellaires écartées l'une de l'autre"

bristles 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 ...

present and divergent]. Abdomen is elliptical. Anterior margin of inter ocular space is reddish or orange. Face reddish. Cheeks wide.Séguy, E. (1934) ''Diptères: Brachycères''. II. ''Muscidae acalypterae, Scatophagidae''. Paris: Éditions Faune de France 2
Bibliotheque Virtuelle Numerique pdf
/ref> The wings are faintly

iridescent Iridescence (also known as goniochromism) is the phenomenon of certain surfaces that appear to gradually change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Examples of iridescence include soap bubbles, feathers, butterfl ...

and lie flat upon the fly's

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 tors ...

when at rest. 4 mm (0.16 in) long.

References

External links

Image of ''Piophila casei''
Los Angeles County Natural History Museum Flies described in 1758 Piophilidae Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Tephritoidea-stub