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Australian Wildlife

  Oriental Latrine Fly (Chrysomya megacephala)





Oriental Latrine Fly | Chrysomya megacephala photo
Oriental Latrine Fly feeding on feces. Pictured in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Image by Muhammad Mahdi Karim - GNU Free Documentation License.    (view image details)







INSECT FACTS

Identification
The Oriental Latrine Fly is a shiny greenish-blue blow fly with a yellow face and large reddish eyes. It is often found in large numbers around latrines, slaughter-houses, animal facilities, meat markets and fish markets.

Other Names
Oriental Blowfly

Size
length 7mm to 10mm

Food
The Oriental Latrine Fly feeds on human food, human and animal faeces, and carrion.

Breeding
The Oriental Latrine Fly breeds in human faeces, meat, and fish. The female lays eggs as much as 200 to 300 eggs which hatch into white maggots.

Range
The fly is indigenous to south-east Asia. It is found in northern half of Australia and on Christmas Island.



Classification
Class:Insecta
Order:Diptera
Family:Calliphoridae
Genus:Chrysomya
Species:megacephala
Common Name:Oriental Latrine Fly