FLIES

THE COMMON HOUSE FLY

Musca domestica

The adults are about 5-8mm long. Their thorax is gray or sometimes even
black, with four longitudinal dark lines on the back. The whole body is
covered with hair-like projections. The females are slightly larger than
the males, and have a much larger space between their red compound
eyes. The mass of pupae can range from about 8 to 20 mg under different
conditions. This species accounts for about 90% of all flies in our
homes.

BLUE BOTTLE FLY

Calliphora vomitoria

Often referred to as a ‘Brommer’. It is 10–14mm long, slightly
larger than a housefly. The head and thorax are dull gray and the
abdomen is bright metallic blue with black markings. The eyes are red
and the wings are transparent. They mostly feed on dead animals and
animal faeces, making them potential carriers of disease. These insects
like to fly in packs in order to detect possible prey more efficiently.
If one fly detects food, it will disperse a pheromone which will alert
the others to the meal.