November
2006
The Blowfly
Order
Family
Genus
Diptera
Calliphoridae
Calliphora, Lucilia, Cordylobia
Blow-flies are found in any area where there is
rotting organic matter, which makes a suitable
environment to lay their eggs. After these eggs are hatched,
the larvae has a ready food supply
located nearby. The temperature must be above 75 degrees for
the blowfly to be active but they
prefer it even hotter and more humid.
Adult blow flies are generally 1/4 to 3/4 inches
long and weigh less than an ounce. They reach their
sexual maturity in a few weeks and have a breeding season which stretches
through the summer. The
female lays from 1,500 to 2,000 eggs which
hatch in a little over a day. These larvae eat anything
which is rotting or have dead cells. They remain
larva for just under 2 weeks and their pupal
stage
is around a week before they become flies.
The blow fly has a lifespan of 14 days to 8 weeks
and
produces 4 to 8 generations per year.
Larvae do not attack healthy tissue but
they have been known to burrow into healthy tissue after
developing in wounds or rotting sores. They will soon burrow
into the ground or some other
safe, dry place.....develop a cocoon type outer
enclosure and remain there until they emerge in
a week to spend the remainder of their short life as a blow fly.
Blow flies are larger and shinier than the regular
housefly. Most blow flies are either
black
or shiny metallic green in color with
larger wings than the housefly. Even though they are
larger than other flies, they are very good fliers and can fly long
distances without having to
land. Most of the flying done by
the blow fly has to do with searching for food or
searching
for a spot to lay eggs. Below are
pictured the larvae of blow flies.
Blow flies are capable of flapping their wings several hundred times
per second. The have
large compound eyes and sensitive hairs on their
legs which pick up minute movement and
vibrations. This aids the fly in evading
predators. The graphic below shows a close up view
of the compound eyes of the blow fly.
Although blow flys are thought to be nasty creatures, and it is true
they help to spread disease,
they also help to pollinate flowers just
as other insects do. They also are useful in
nature to get
rid of decaying carcasses of animals.
Because the larvae of blow flies almost always eat diseased
tissue, they were bred in World War I to place
into the open wounds of soldiers. These maggots
would keep the wound clean of dead cells and
would give the injury a chance to heal properly.
Shown below, shaded in red, is the range of the blow fly. As is
evident. They are found in most
areas of the world.
Press play below, to hear Blowfly sounds.