Green Bottle Fly

Pouring down rain this morning, so much so, that we now have a leak in our house. Oh joy. It's coming right through the upper molding on the sliding patio door. Then the rain, quit, the sun came out but the wind picked up. I went outside to see what I could get and while I was inspecting our soaked rhododendron, this green fly showed up. So, I got a picture of it, and that was about all that I did today. Turns out these flies are interesting in their own icky way.

Green flies, or green bottle flies, are shiny, metallic green in color. Their eyes are large, compound and tinted red. Like other blow and bottle flies, these flies are commonly found on farms.

Adults feed pollen, serving as key pollinators for plants that mimic the smell of carrion. Although painful, green flies are not known to transfer diseases through biting. Rather, the transfer of pathogens occurs when they land on food or food preparation surfaces after coming into contact with carrion or feces.

Female flies choose dead and wounded animals, as well as feces, within which to lay their eggs. Green bottle flies are particularly fond of dog feces and large populations may be found in dog parks and dog runs as a result. After hatching, yellow-gray larvae feed for two to 10 days, amassing enough body weight to last through their upcoming pupa stage. The scientific community has taken special interest in the larvae of these flies for their potential to treat necrotic flesh wounds in sanitized, controlled conditions.


Hope everything is hunky dory where ever you are in the world. See ya later...