Carrion-fly
Guides
Lucilia cluvia
Lucilia cluvia is a species of blow fly in the family Calliphoridae. It belongs to the genus Lucilia, commonly known as green bottle flies. Very little specific information has been documented about this particular species compared to better-studied congeners such as Lucilia sericata and Lucilia cuprina.
Megaselia scalaris
Scaled Hump-backed Fly, scuttle fly, coffin fly, humpbacked fly, laboratory fly
Megaselia scalaris is a small phorid fly, approximately 2–3 mm in length, widely distributed in warm regions globally. It is one of the most commonly encountered species in the family Phoridae, particularly in urban environments. The species exhibits remarkable ecological flexibility, functioning as a decomposer, facultative parasitoid, and forensic indicator. Adults display characteristic jerky running behavior, earning the common name "scuttle fly." The species has been documented in diverse contexts including coffins, decomposing carrion, termite mounds, social wasp nests, and deteriorating museum specimens.
Opsodexia
Opsodexia is a genus of blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) described by Townsend in 1915. It is currently treated as a synonym of Melanomya (subgenus Opsodexia) within the subfamily Melanomyinae. The genus contains species associated with carrion and decomposition ecology. Very few observations exist in public databases, indicating either rarity or taxonomic obscurity.
Protopiophila
cheese skipper, antler fly
Protopiophila is a genus of piophilid flies commonly known as cheese skippers or antler flies. The genus comprises eleven described species distributed across multiple continents. Some species, particularly P. litigata, have become model organisms for studying sexual selection and life history evolution due to their specialized breeding ecology on discarded cervid antlers. Other species such as P. latipes utilize decomposing animal carcasses as breeding substrates. The genus exhibits notable behavioral diversity in mating systems and larval ecology.