Dung-fly
Guides
Americina adusta
Americina adusta is a species of dung fly in the family Scathophagidae, first described by Loew in 1863 under the basionym Cordilura adusta. It belongs to a family whose larvae are primarily associated with dung or decaying organic matter, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented. The genus Americina is part of the subfamily Delininae.
Apteromyia claviventris
Apteromyia claviventris is a small fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. The genus Apteromyia is characterized by reduced wing venation and small body size. This species has been documented in northern Europe and North America. Like other members of its family, it is associated with decomposing organic matter.
Archisepsis
Archisepsis is a genus of sepsid flies established by Silva in 1993. The genus contains at least 12 described species distributed across the Neotropics, with records from Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru. Species have been documented breeding in cattle dung, where they serve as hosts for parasitoid wasps. The genus is part of the diverse Sepsidae family, commonly known as black scavenger flies or dung flies.
Bucephalina setipes
Bucephalina setipes is a species of dung fly in the family Scathophagidae, described by Coquillett in 1910. It belongs to the tribe Cordilurini within the subfamily Scathophaginae. The genus Bucephalina contains relatively few described species, and B. setipes appears to be rarely encountered based on limited observation records.
Coproica ferruginata
lesser dung fly
Coproica ferruginata is a small dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. The species was described by Stenhammar in 1854. It is recorded from Europe and the Azores archipelago. As a member of Sphaeroceridae, it is associated with decaying organic matter.
Copromyza equina
Copromyza equina is a small dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. The species was described by Fallén in 1820 and has been recorded from several islands in the Azores archipelago. Sphaeroceridae are among the most species-rich families of Diptera, with members typically associated with decaying organic matter.
Copromyza neglecta
lesser dung fly
Copromyza neglecta is a species of lesser dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae. It is found in Europe, with confirmed records from Norway and Sweden. Like other members of this family, it is associated with dung and decomposing organic matter. The species was described by Malloch in 1913.
Cordilura intermedia
Cordilura intermedia is a species of dung fly in the family Scathophagidae, described by Curran in 1927. Members of this genus are associated with moist, organic-rich habitats where their larvae develop. The species is poorly documented in public sources, with only two observations recorded on iNaturalist. Like other scathophagid flies, it likely plays a role in nutrient cycling through decomposition processes.
Cordilura luteola
Cordilura luteola is a species of dung fly in the family Scathophagidae, described by Malloch in 1924. The genus Cordilura comprises flies typically associated with wetland and riparian habitats where their larvae develop in decaying organic matter. As a member of the Scathophagidae, this species is part of a family whose common name "dung flies" reflects the larval habit of developing in animal feces and other decomposing substrates, though many species also utilize decaying plant matter and algae in moist environments.
Cordilura munda
Cordilura munda is a species of dung fly in the family Scathophagidae, first described by Friedrich Hermann Loew in 1870. The species belongs to the tribe Cordilurini within the subfamily Scathophaginae. As a member of this family, it is associated with dung and decaying organic matter habitats. Specific ecological details remain poorly documented in published literature.
Cordilura proboscidea
Cordilura proboscidea is a species of dung fly in the family Scathophagidae, first described by Zetterstedt in 1838. The genus Cordilura belongs to the tribe Cordilurini within the subfamily Scathophaginae. Members of this family are commonly known as dung flies due to their frequent association with dung and other decaying organic matter. Distribution records indicate presence in Norway and Sweden.
Cordilura scapularis
Cordilura scapularis is a species of dung fly in the family Scathophagidae, a group of flies commonly known as yellow dung flies or dung flies. The species was described by Loew in 1870. Like other members of Scathophagidae, this species is associated with dung and other decomposing organic matter, though specific ecological details for this particular species remain poorly documented in the available literature.
Cordilura setosa
Cordilura setosa is a species of dung fly in the family Scathophagidae, described by Loew in 1860. Members of this family are commonly known as dung flies due to their frequent association with dung and other decaying organic matter. The specific epithet "setosa" refers to the setose (bristly) nature of this species. As with other scathophagids, adults are likely predatory or feed on nectar, while larvae develop in decomposing substrates.
Ernoneura argus
Ernoneura argus is a species of dung fly in the family Scathophagidae, first described by Zetterstedt in 1838 under the basionym Scatomyza argus. It belongs to a family whose larvae typically develop in dung and decaying organic matter. The species has been recorded in Norway and Sweden based on distribution data.
Gimnomera tibialis
Gimnomera tibialis is a species of dung fly in the family Scathophagidae, originally described as Dasypleuron tibialis by Malloch in 1919. The species belongs to a genus of flies associated with dung and decomposing organic matter. As a member of Scathophagidae, it is part of a family commonly known as dung flies or yellow dung flies, though detailed ecological and behavioral information specific to this species remains limited in available sources.
Hydromyza confluens
dung fly
Hydromyza confluens is a species of dung fly in the family Scathophagidae, described by Loew in 1863. The species belongs to a family whose larvae typically develop in dung or decaying organic matter, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented in accessible literature. Available sources provide only basic taxonomic information without substantive data on its ecology, behavior, or life history.
Mesosphaerocera annulicornis
Mesosphaerocera annulicornis is a species of small dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, originally described by Malloch in 1913 under the genus Sphaerocera. The species epithet 'annulicornis' refers to ringed or banded antennae, a characteristic morphological feature. It belongs to a genus of minute flies associated with decaying organic matter. The species has been documented through limited observations, with nine records on iNaturalist.
Neomyia
False Greenbottles
Neomyia is a genus of flies in the family Muscidae, commonly known as False Greenbottles. The genus includes species such as Neomyia cornicina, a coprophagous dung fly that inhabits cattle dung and has been extensively studied as a non-target organism affected by veterinary pharmaceuticals in livestock waste. Species in this genus exhibit thermophilous behavior and adapt their spatial and temporal distribution to climatic conditions.
Neomyia cornicina
Small False Greenbottle
Neomyia cornicina is a common coprophagous muscid fly native to the Palaearctic region, with introduced populations in the Nearctic. Adults and larvae feed on cattle dung, contributing to dung decomposition. The species is frequently used as a model organism in ecotoxicological studies examining the effects of veterinary pharmaceuticals on non-target dung fauna.
Norrbomia fulvipennis
A small dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, described in 1992 from material collected in Costa Rica. The species epithet refers to the tawny or yellowish-brown coloration of the wings. Sphaeroceridae are commonly known as lesser dung flies and are associated with decaying organic matter.
Plethochaeta varicolor
Plethochaeta varicolor is a species of dung fly in the family Scathophagidae, first described by Coquillett in 1901. The genus Plethochaeta is a small group within the Scathophagidae, a family commonly known as dung flies or yellow dung flies due to their association with dung and other decaying organic matter. Very few observations of this species exist in public databases, suggesting it is either genuinely rare, undercollected, or restricted to specific habitats. The specific epithet "varicolor" likely refers to variable coloration, though original description details are not widely accessible.
Scathophaga crinita
Scathophaga crinita is a species of dung fly in the family Scathophagidae. It is one of approximately 30 species in the genus Scathophaga, a group commonly known as dung flies. Members of this genus are typically associated with animal feces, where adults feed and females lay eggs. The larvae develop in dung, playing a role in decomposition.
Scathophaga furcata
Furcate Dung Fly
Scathophaga furcata is a dung fly in the family Scathophagidae, distributed across the Palearctic region. Larvae develop in dung, where they feed and complete their development. The species has been documented as a significant prey item for nestling snow buntings.
Scathophaga intermedia
Scathophaga intermedia is a species of dung fly in the family Scathophagidae, first described by Walker in 1849. The genus Scathophaga contains predatory flies commonly associated with dung and other organic matter. As a member of this genus, S. intermedia likely shares the family's characteristic biology of larval development in dung and predatory adult behavior, though species-specific details remain poorly documented in available sources.
Scathophaga spurca
Scathophaga spurca is a species of dung fly in the family Scathophagidae, order Diptera. The genus Scathophaga includes species commonly known as dung flies, with the well-known Scathophaga stercoraria (golden dung fly) being a familiar example. S. spurca was described by Meigen in 1826 and is currently accepted as a valid species. Distribution records indicate presence in Norway and Sweden.
Scathophaga stercoraria
yellow dung fly, golden dung fly
Scathophaga stercoraria, commonly known as the yellow dung fly or golden dung fly, is a widespread and abundant dipteran species found across the Northern Hemisphere. Adults are sexually dimorphic: males display bright golden-yellow coloration with orange-yellow fur on the front legs, while females are duller with green-brown tinges and lack the brightly colored leg fur. The species is strongly associated with the dung of large mammals, where it breeds and where males establish territories to intercept females. Adults are predatory, feeding on smaller insects and occasionally nectar, while larvae are coprophagous, developing within dung. The species has become an important model organism in evolutionary biology, particularly for studies of sexual selection, sperm competition, and life history evolution.
Sepsidae
black scavenger flies, ensign flies
Sepsidae is a family of small, slender flies in the order Diptera, commonly known as black scavenger flies or ensign flies. The family contains over 300 described species worldwide. Adults are typically found on mammal excrement, decaying animal and plant material, and carrion, where they feed and oviposit. Many species exhibit a distinctive wing-waving behavior while walking. The family plays a significant ecological role as decomposers and has forensic and hygienic relevance due to their association with feces and decaying matter.
Spaziphora cincta
Spaziphora cincta is a species of dung fly in the family Scathophagidae, first described by Loew in 1863 under the basionym Cordilura cincta. The species belongs to a genus whose members are associated with dung and decomposing organic matter. Like other scathophagid flies, adults are predatory while larvae develop in dung.
Spelobia maculipennis
lesser dung fly
Spelobia maculipennis is a species of lesser dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae. The species was originally described as Leptocera maculipennis by Spuler in 1925. As a member of the Sphaeroceridae, it belongs to a family of small flies commonly associated with decaying organic matter and dung. The genus Spelobia comprises numerous species of small dung flies distributed across various regions.
Spelobia typhlops
Spelobia typhlops is a species of lesser dung fly described by Richards in 1965. It belongs to the family Sphaeroceridae, a group of small flies commonly associated with decaying organic matter. The species epithet "typhlops" (Greek for "blind") may allude to reduced eyes or subterranean habits, though this has not been confirmed in published sources. Like other members of Spelobia, it likely inhabits moist, decomposing substrates. Published biological data for this species remains limited.
Sphaerocera curvipes
lesser dung fly
Sphaerocera curvipes is a species of small dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, commonly known as lesser dung flies. The species was described by Latreille in 1805 and is one of the more frequently observed members of its genus, with over 260 documented observations on iNaturalist. It belongs to a family specialized in exploiting decaying organic matter, particularly dung.