Green Bottle Fly vs Throat Bot Fly of Horses

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Green Bottle Fly Throat Bot Fly of Horses
Scientific Name Lucilia sericata Gasterophilus nasalis
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Calliphoridae Oestridae
Size 10-14 mm 11-15 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Carrion Feeders Omnivores
Regions Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, Oceania Worldwide wherever horses are kept
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Green Bottle Fly

A brilliant metallic green fly with large red compound eyes. Medically, its sterile larvae are used in maggot debridement therapy to clean necrotic wounds.

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Did You Know?

Medical-grade maggots of this species are approved by the FDA for wound treatment, as they eat only dead tissue and secrete natural antibiotics.

Throat Bot Fly of Horses

A yellowish-brown bot fly that lays eggs under the jaw of horses. Larvae migrate to the area between the teeth and gums before traveling to the pyloric region of the stomach and duodenum. It is one of the most common horse bot flies worldwide.

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Did You Know?

Unlike other horse bots, this species' larvae prefer the duodenum over the stomach, a unique niche among Gasterophilus species.