COMMON GREEN BOTTLE FLY

Common green bottle fly The common green bottle fly is a blowfly found in most areas of the world and is the most well-known of the numerous green bottle fly species. Its body is 10–14 mm in length – slightly larger than a house fly – and has brilliant, metallic, blue-green or golden coloration with black markings. Scientific name: Lucilia sericata Family: Calliphoridae Kingdom: Animalia Order: Diptera Phylum: Arthropoda Characteristics Green Bottle Flies ◉Also called green blow flies. ◉Common and slightly larger than house flies. ◉Brilliant, metallic green to green-golden coloration with black markings. ◉Wings are clear with light brown veins; the legs and antennae are black. ◉Other species can be blue, gold, or black, all retaining a metallic sheen. Nest The green bottle fly is a blow fly, and it deposits its eggs mainly on freshly killed animals and on garbage that contains meats and animal matter. At room temperature, maggots hatch after a day and burrow into the food material. Maggots grow to maturity after a week and migrate to drier locations to pupate.