Calliphoridae
Calliphoridae
Calliphoridae (pronounced: kuh-lif-uh-rid-ee) is a family of insects in the order Diptera, commonly known as blow flies. The name Calliphoridae is derived from the Greek words 'kallos' meaning beauty and 'phoros' meaning bearing, due to the metallic sheen of many species.
Description
Members of the Calliphoridae family are typically metallic in appearance, with coloration ranging from blue, green, or black. They are known for their role in decomposition as they are often the first insects to arrive at a carcass. This behavior has led to their use in forensic entomology to estimate time of death.
Life Cycle
The life cycle of Calliphoridae consists of four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The female blow fly lays her eggs on decomposing organic matter, which serves as food for the hatching larvae. After a period of intense feeding, the larvae pupate and eventually emerge as adults.
Species
There are over 1,000 known species of Calliphoridae, including the common green bottle fly (Lucilia sericata) and the blue bottle fly (Calliphora vomitoria).
Medical Importance
Some species of Calliphoridae, such as Cochliomyia hominivorax, the New World screwworm, are parasitic and can cause myiasis in humans and other animals. Myiasis is the infestation of live human and vertebrate animals with dipterous larvae, which, at least for a certain period, feed on the host's dead or living tissue, liquid body substances, or ingested food.
See Also
- Diptera
- Decomposition
- Forensic entomology
- Lucilia sericata
- Calliphora vomitoria
- Cochliomyia hominivorax
- Myiasis
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Calliphoridae
- Wikipedia's article - Calliphoridae
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