Flesh-flies
Guides
Brachymeria podagrica
Brachymeria podagrica is a cosmopolitan parasitoid wasp in the family Chalcididae, known from Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, and multiple other regions worldwide. The species is a solitary idiobiont parasitoid of dipteran pupae, particularly flesh flies (Sarcophagidae) and blow flies (Calliphoridae). It has been documented attacking Sarcodexia lambens, Peckia collusor, Hemilucilia flavifacies, Chrysomya albiceps, and Sarcophaga dux, among other hosts. Development from egg to adult emergence takes approximately 20–27 days under favorable conditions, with overwintering generations requiring 155–180 days. Adults are commonly observed near aphid colonies feeding on honeydew, and occasionally visit flowers such as wild carrot. The species has forensic significance due to its predictable emergence from fly pupae on decomposing corpses.
Fletcherimyia
Fletcherimyia is a genus of flesh flies in the family Sarcophagidae, established by Townsend in 1917. The genus belongs to the subfamily Sarcophaginae and is part of the diverse assemblage of necrophagous and parasitoid flies within this family. Very few observations exist in public databases, with records limited to the United States.
Oestroidea
Bot Flies, Blow Flies, and Allies
Oestroidea is a superfamily of Calyptratae comprising approximately 15,000 described species worldwide. It includes blow flies (Calliphoridae), bot flies (Oestridae), flesh flies (Sarcophagidae), tachinid flies (Tachinidae), and related families. The group exhibits diverse ecological strategies including saprophagy, parasitism, and parasitoidism. Molecular analyses confirm Oestroidea as monophyletic, though relationships among constituent families remain partially unresolved.
Paramacronychiinae
Paramacronychiinae is a subfamily of flesh flies within the family Sarcophagidae. The subfamily contains 23 genera and at least 32 species in China alone. Members include necrophagous species and some that cause myiasis in mammals. The group has been studied for forensic entomology applications due to carrion associations.
Rafaelia
Rafaelia is a genus of flesh flies in the family Sarcophagidae, established by Townsend in 1917. The genus contains nine described extant species distributed primarily in the Americas, with records from the United States, Mexico, and Central America. Species within this genus are characterized by their association with the Sarcophagidae family, commonly known as flesh flies due to the typical feeding habits of their larvae. The genus has been documented through museum collections and limited field observations.
Ravinia
Ravinia is a genus of flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) established by Robineau-Desvoidy in 1863. Species within this genus exhibit diverse life history strategies: some are predators of other dipteran larvae in cattle dung, while others have forensic importance. Larvae of at least one species, Ravinia lherminieri, demonstrate strong host resistance to nematode parasitism through haemocytic encapsulation. The genus has been recorded in North America, Europe (Denmark, Norway, Sweden), and Brazil.
Sarcophaginae
Typical Flesh Flies
Sarcophaginae is a diverse subfamily of flesh flies comprising at least 60 genera and over 1,800 species worldwide, with the highest diversity in the Neotropical region. These calyptrate flies are characterized by their association with decomposing organic matter, including carrion, feces, and decaying material. Many species exhibit synanthropic behavior, thriving in human-modified environments. Their life histories encompass necrophagy, coprophagy, and scavenging, with some species documented in association with eusocial wasp nests. Species identification relies heavily on male genitalia due to uniform external chaetotaxy.