For Anyone Interested in the Wildlife of the U.K.
Index > Identify > Creepy-crawlies > Flies >
Flesh-flies
Latin name: Sarcophaga carnaria
Size: Approx 15mm long
Distribution: Found throughout the U.K.
Months seen: All year round. More frequently seen in summer months.
Habitat: Gardens and around buildings
Food: Larvae feed on carrion/dung. Adults feed on just about any liquid they can soak up with their spongey mouthparts
Special features: Flesh-flies have black and gray longitudinal stripes on the thorax and black and white checker markings along the abdomen.
The eggs are laid on rotting carcasses, or dung in some species. The larvae (maggots) reach their full size in just a few days, then burrow into the soil to pupate through the winter. They emerge as adult flies in the summer.
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