Flesh Fly vs Blue Bottle Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Flesh Fly Blue Bottle Fly
Scientific Name Sarcophaga carnaria Calliphora vomitoria
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Sarcophagidae Calliphoridae
Size 10-18 mm 10-14 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Carrion Feeders Carrion Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia, North America Europe, North America, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Flesh Fly

A large gray fly with three black longitudinal stripes on the thorax and a checkered abdomen. Unlike most flies, females give birth to live larvae rather than laying eggs.

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Did You Know?

Flesh flies are larviparous, depositing live first-instar maggots directly onto food sources, giving their offspring a developmental head start over egg-laying competitors.

Blue Bottle Fly

A large, metallic blue fly with a loud buzzing flight and prominent bristly body. It is one of the first insects to arrive on carrion and is extensively used in forensic entomology.

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Did You Know?

Forensic scientists can determine time of death by analyzing the developmental stages of blow fly larvae found on human remains with accuracy down to hours.