ORDER: Diptera
FAMILY: Calliphoridae
These insects are generally associated with meat or dead animal materials, waste containers and compactors. If food waste bins are not lidded and emptied regularly these flies will thrive. Fly control units are effective against both Bluebottle and Greenbottle flies. This fly can be encountered the whole year round with generations overlapping.
Size, Shape and Colour: 5-12mm long, wing span 25mm, bristly body, metalic green, with pearly grey spots on its abdomen and stripes on its thorax. Very large compound eyes. Stiff transparent wings.
Biology: Greenbottle flies mate and egg laying commences 4 days later. Anything up to 600 eggs laid in clusters in fresh or old meat. Eggs hatch out within 18-48 hours if the temperature is between 18-20oC. The larvae feed for approximately 8-11 days and moult 3 times growing to 18mm in length. They will pupate anything up to 100 metres away from area hatched. Preferred pupation site is in soil. The pupa will grow to 10mm in length and be dull brown in colour. The fly emerges 2 weeks later if temperature is between 18-20oC. The adults will live for just 35 days incredibly the life cycle is completed between 13-25 days.
Preferred Foods: Flies will feed from any meat product, decaying matter, excrement and manure.
Habitat: The fly can be found in food processing factories, meat processing plants, food waste containers and compactors.
