Carrion-ecology
Guides
Calliphora vomitoria
blue bottle fly, orange-bearded blue bottle, bottlebee
Calliphora vomitoria is a blow fly and the type species of the genus Calliphora. Adults are among the first colonizers of carrion, making them significant forensic indicators for estimating time of death. The species exhibits a distinctive metallic blue abdomen and orange setae on the gena. It has been extensively studied for its landing mechanics, with research on its inverted ceiling landings informing robotic drone design.
Calliphoridae
blow flies, blow-flies, carrion flies, bluebottles, greenbottles, cluster flies
Calliphoridae is a large family of Diptera containing approximately 1,900 described species with worldwide distribution. Adults are typically recognized by their metallic blue, green, or black coloration. The family exhibits diverse life histories including saprophagy, facultative parasitism, and obligatory myiasis. Larvae of most species develop in carrion and dung, making them ecologically important decomposers and forensically significant indicators of post-mortem intervals. Several species have substantial economic and medical importance: Lucilia cuprina causes flystrike in Australian sheep, Cochliomyia hominivorax was a major screwworm pest before eradication in North America, and Lucilia sericata is used in maggot debridement therapy for wound treatment.
Lucilia
greenbottle flies, green bottle flies
Lucilia is a genus of blow flies in the family Calliphoridae, commonly known as greenbottle flies for their metallic green coloration. Species in this genus are among the most frequently encountered carrion-associated flies worldwide and hold significant importance in forensic entomology, medical maggot therapy, and veterinary contexts. The genus includes species with cosmopolitan distributions due to human commerce, notably Lucilia sericata and Lucilia cuprina. Larvae are obligate scavengers of decomposing organic matter, with some species capable of causing myiasis in living hosts.
Necrophila americana
American Carrion Beetle
Necrophila americana is a North American carrion beetle in the family Silphidae. Adults and larvae feed on decomposing animal flesh and also prey on fly larvae that compete for the same resources. Unlike burying beetles in the genus Nicrophorus, this species does not bury carcasses. Adults have been observed at sap flows on oak trees and in fermenting bait traps. The species has been documented in forensic entomology contexts due to its predictable association with decomposing remains.
Protophormia terraenovae
northern blowfly, blue-bottle fly, blue-assed fly, blackbottle
Protophormia terraenovae is a large, metallic blue-green blowfly with a Holarctic distribution. It is the most cold-tolerant calliphorid species, occurring from the Arctic to temperate regions. The species is economically significant as a cause of myiasis in livestock and valuable in maggot debridement therapy due to its selective consumption of necrotic tissue and antibiotic secretions. Its temperature-dependent development makes it a key forensic indicator for post-mortem interval estimation.