Blow Flies belong to the Calliphoridae family in the order of Diptera. This family also includes carrion flies, cluster flies, bluebottle and greenbottle flies. They are most commonly found in weather that is warm and humid as they cannot thrive in windy and extremely dry climate.
Blow Flies are common pests in the southern parts of the United States. They can get into homes through open doors, windows, or small cracks in walls in search of food. Once they find a meal, they start depositing their eggs on its surface.
Quick Facts: –
- The name Blow Flies comes from the bloated condition of the rotting animal carcasses that their larvae infest.
- Some larvae species sometimes infest open wounds of living animals.
- They can transfer infections to humans through contaminating food and food preparation surfaces.
- A blowfly is slightly larger than a housefly and many of them have bodies that are metallic blue or green in color.
- They have bristle-like hairs that differentiate them form all the other members that belong to the Calliphoridae family.
- There are approximately 1,200 different species of Blow Flies.
- They can be found all over the world. A total of 80 species can be found in the United States.
- They have sponge-like mouth parts, with feathery hairs on the terminal antennal segments of the males.
- They also have the ability to smell dead animal matter from many miles away.
- Blow flies lay their eggs around wound areas or around openings, such as the eyes, ears, and nose.
