| Common Flesh Fly (Sarcophaga carnaria (Linnaeus, 1758)) |
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Scientific name: Sarcophaga carnaria (Linnaeus, 1758) Common name: Common Flesh Fly French name: Mouche grise de la viande, Mouche à damier. Order: Diptera Family: Sarcophagidae Wingspan : 14 to 18 mm. Biotope: Flower meadows, gardens, near and inside human buildings. Geographic area: Europe Observation period : April to October. |
The Common Flesh Fly is a general silver grey ground colour. It shows two brown reddish well separated eyes with a black stripe bordered with grey on the forehead. The antennae are black and slightly reddish brown near the base. The thorax shows five black broad longitudinal bands. The abdomen shows black and white checker markings. The last segments are black. The legs are black with a light brownish colour. Adults lay the eggs on dead animals, on dungs and on meat inside houses. It is now believed that this species also parasites earth worms. The larvae are commonly called maggots. Adults feed on sap and nectar. There are many species in the Sarcophaga genus and only a dissection of the male's genitalia enables to tell the species apart. The only species which is relatively easy to identify is Sarcophaga africa with a red abdomen tip and 4 to 6 bristles on the central axis on the upper side of the abdomen, these bristles becoming stronger while approaching the tip. |
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I have only mentioned Sarcophaga sp.. Nothing allows to identify Sarcophaga carnaria. |
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I have photographed this Sarcophagidae on the lip of a bucket in my garden. |
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I have photographed this Sarcophagidae on a woodland edge. |
André Bon March 2017