Calliphora vomitoria

Blue bottle fly
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Calliphoridae
Genus:	Calliphora
Species:	C. vomitoria
Binomial name
Calliphora vomitoria (Linnaeus, 1758)

The blue bottle fly (Calliphora vomitoria) is a common blow-fly found in most areas of the world. It is 10-14 mm long, slightly larger than a housefly. The head and thorax are dull gray and the abdomen is bright metallic blue with black markings. Its body and legs are covered with black bristle-like hair. The eyes are red and the wings are clear. The legs and antennae are black.

Life cycle

A female blue bottle fly lays her eggs where she feeds, usually in decaying meat, garbage, or feces. Pale whitish larvae, commonly called maggots, soon hatch from the eggs and immediately begin feeding on the decomposing matter where they were hatched. After a few days of feeding, they are fully grown. At that time they will crawl away to a dry place where they can burrow into soil or similar matter to pupate into tough brown coccoons. After two or three weeks, the adults emerge to mate, beginning the cycle again. During cold weather, pupae and adults can hibernate until warmer temperatures revive them.

They are pollinators of some flowers with a strong odor such as skunk cabbage and goldenrod.

References

• ITIS Report Calliphora vomitoria
• Study of Northern Virginia Ecology Calliphora vomitoria