The cheese fly (''

Piophila ''Piophila'' is a genus of small flies which includes the species known as the cheese fly. Both ''Piophila'' species feed on carrion, including human corpses. Description ''Piophila'' are small dark flies with unmarked wings. The setulae (fine ...

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 ing ...

s including cured meats, smoked or salted fish, cheeses and also carrion. The larvae 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 Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

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, after ...

, the larvae are intentionally introduced into

pecorino Pecorino cheeses are hard Italian cheeses made from sheep's milk. The name "" derives from ''pecora'' which means sheep in Italian. Overview Of the six main varieties of pecorino, all of which have Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) stat ...

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 production, ...

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 (Franc ...

'' ("rotten cheese" in Sardinian language). When consumed, the larvae can survive in the intestine, 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 and ...

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 ...

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 The adjective pubescent may describe: * people or animals undergoing puberty * plants that are hairy, covered in trichomes * insects that are covered in setae In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a ...

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 br ...

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 torso. ...

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