Editing Calliphoridae

{{Short description|Family of flies}}
{{other uses|Blowfly (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|Bluebottle fly|additional species called "bluebottle"|Bluebottle (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image             = Chrysomya megacephala male.jpg
| image_caption     = Male ''[[Chrysomya megacephala]]''
| taxon             = Calliphoridae
| authority         = [[Friedrich Moritz Brauer|Brauer]] & [[Julius von Bergenstamm|Bergenstamm]], 1889<ref name="BrauerBergenstamm1889">{{cite journal |last1= Brauer|first1= F.|last2= Bergenstamm|first2= J. E. von |date= 1889 |title= Die Zweiflugler des Kaiserlichen Museums zu Wien. IV. Vorarbeiten zu einer Monographie der Muscaria Schizometopa (exclusive Anthomyidae).Pars I |url= https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7109187#page/115/mode/1up|journal= Denkschriften der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften |volume= 56 |issue= 1 |pages= 69–180 |access-date=25 November 2014}}</ref>
| subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies
| subdivision       =
* [[Bengaliinae]]<ref name="Rognes2011">{{cite journal |last1=Rognes |first1=Knut |title=A review of the monophyly and composition of the Bengaliinae with the description of a new genus and species, and new evidence for the presence of Melanomyinae in the Afrotropical Region (Diptera, Calliphoridae) |journal=Zootaxa |date=13 July 2011 |volume=2964 |issue=1 |pages=1 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.2964.1.1 |hdl=11250/182367 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
* [[Calliphorinae]]
* [[Chrysomyinae]]
* [[Helicoboscinae]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rognes |first1=Knut |title=The systematic position of the genus Helicobosca Bezzi with a discussion of the monophyly of the calyptrate families Calliphoridae, Rhinophoridae, Sarcophagidae and Tachinidae (Diptera) |journal=Insect Systematics & Evolution |date=1986 |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=75–92 |doi=10.1163/187631286X00125 }}</ref>
* [[Luciliinae]]
* [[Melanomyinae]]
* [[Rhinophorinae]]<ref name="YanPapeEtAl2021">{{cite journal |last1=Yan |first1=Liping |last2=Pape |first2=Thomas |last3=Meusemann |first3=Karen |last4=Kutty |first4=Sujatha Narayanan |last5=Meier |first5=Rudolf |last6=Bayless |first6=Keith M |last7=Zhang |first7=Dong |title=Monophyletic blowflies revealed by phylogenomics |journal=BMC Biology |date=2021 |volume=19 |issue=230 |page=230 |doi=10.1186/s12915-021-01156-4 |pmid=34706743 |pmc=8555136 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
}}

The '''Calliphoridae''' (commonly known as '''blowflies''', '''blow flies''', '''blow-flies''', '''carrion flies''', '''bluebottles''', or '''greenbottles''')<ref name="ITIS">{{ITIS |id=151495 |taxon=Calliphoridae |access-date=31 May 2008}}</ref> are a [[Family (biology)|family]] of insects in the order [[Diptera]], with almost 1,900 known species. The [[maggot]] larvae, often used as fishing bait, are known as '''gentles'''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gentle |url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/gentle--2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730110824/http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/gentle--2 |archive-date=30 July 2012 |access-date=24 May 2016 |publisher=Oxford Dictionaries}}</ref> The family is known to be [[polyphyly|polyphyletic]], but much remains disputed regarding proper treatment of the constituent taxa,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Yeates |first1=D. K. |last2=Wiegmann |first2=B. M. |year=1999 |title=Congruence and controversy: toward a higher-level phylogeny of Diptera |journal=[[Annual Review of Entomology]] |volume=44 |pages=397–428 |doi=10.1146/annurev.ento.44.1.397 |pmid=15012378 }}</ref> some of which are occasionally accorded family status (e.g., Bengaliidae and Helicoboscidae).<ref name="Sivell2021">{{cite journal |last1=Sivell |first1=Olga |title=Blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae, Polleniidae, Rhiniidae) |journal=RES Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects |date=2021 |volume=10 |issue=16 |pages=1–208 |isbn=9781910159064}}</ref>

==Description==

=== Characteristics ===
Calliphoridae adults are commonly shiny with metallic colouring, often with blue, green, or black thoraces and abdomens. [[Antenna (biology)|Antenna]]e are three-segmented and aristate. The [[Arista (insect anatomy)|arista]]e are plumose their entire length, and the second antennal segment is distinctly grooved. Members of Calliphoridae have branched Rs 2 veins, [[Schizophora|frontal suture]]s are present, and [[calypter]]s are well developed.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ali |first1=Hayder |url=https://uomustansiriyah.edu.iq/media/lectures/95/95_2024_04_01!09_44_43_AM.pdf |title = Entymology 2: Family Calliphoridae|website=uomustansiriyah.edu.iq |access-date=31 October 2024}}</ref>
The characteristics and [[Chaetotaxy|arrangements of hairlike bristles]] are used to differentiate among members of this family. All blowflies have bristles located on the [[Insect morphology#Legs|meron]]. Having two notopleural [[bristle]]s and a hindmost posthumeral bristle located lateral to presutural bristle are characteristics to look for when identifying this family.{{cn|date=August 2022}}

The thorax has the continuous dorsal suture across the middle, along with well-defined posterior calli. The postscutellum is absent or weakly developed. The costa is unbroken and the subcosta is apparent on the insect.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ces.csiro.au/biology/fly/fly.html |year=2004 |title=Anatomical Atlas of Flies |publisher=[[CSIRO]] |author=Anne Hastings, David Yeates & Joanna Hamilton |access-date=13 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118040549/http://www.ces.csiro.au/biology/fly/fly.html |archive-date=18 January 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nku.edu/~biosci/CoursesNDegree/ForensicFlyKey/families.htm |title=Biological Sciences: Northern Kentucky University |publisher=Nku.edu |date=2013-01-14 |access-date=2014-05-29 |archive-date=20 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920054523/http://www.nku.edu/~biosci/CoursesNDegree/ForensicFlyKey/families.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://aramel.free.fr/INSECTES15-4.shtml |title=INSECTES15-4 |publisher=Aramel.free.fr |access-date=2014-05-29}}</ref>

===Development===
Most species of blowflies studied thus far are [[Anautogeny|anautogenous]]; a female requires a substantial amount of protein to develop mature eggs within her ovaries (about 800&nbsp;μg per pair of ovaries in ''[[Phormia regina]]''). The current theory is that females visit carrion both for protein and egg laying, but this remains to be proven. Blowfly eggs, usually yellowish or white in color, are about 1.5&nbsp;mm × 0.4&nbsp;mm, and when laid, look like rice grains. While the female blowfly typically lays 150–200 eggs per batch, she is usually [[iteroparous]], laying around 2,000 eggs during the course of her life. The sex ratio of blowfly eggs is usually 50:50, but one exception is females from two species of the genus ''[[Chrysomya]]'' (''C. rufifacies'' and ''C. albiceps''), which are either arrhenogenic (laying only male offspring) or thelygenic (laying only female offspring).{{cn|date=August 2022}}

Hatching from an egg to the first larval stage takes about 8 hours to a day. [[Larva]]e have three stages of development ([[instar]]s); each stage is separated by a molting event. The instars are separable by examining the posterior spiracles, or openings to the breathing system.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smlc.asso.fr/smlc/dmla/entomologie/diaporama/images/08.jpg |title=diaporama image |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041227100737/http://www.smlc.asso.fr/smlc/dmla/entomologie/diaporama/images/08.jpg |archive-date=2004-12-27 |access-date=11 March 2014}}</ref> The larvae use [[proteolytic]] enzymes in their excreta (as well as mechanical grinding by mouth hooks) to break down proteins on the livestock or corpse on which they are feeding. Blowflies are [[poikilothermic]] – the rate at which they grow and develop is highly dependent on temperature and species. Under room temperature (about 20&nbsp;°C), the black blowfly ''[[Phormia regina]]'' can change from egg to pupa in 150–266 hours (six to 11 days). When the third larval stage is complete, it leaves the corpse and burrows into the ground to pupate, emerging as an adult 7–14 days later.{{cn|date=August 2022}}

===Food sources===
Adult blowflies are occasional [[pollinator]]s, being attracted to [[Carrion flower|flowers]] with strong [[odor]]s resembling [[Decomposition|rotting]] meat, such as the [[American pawpaw]] or [[dead horse arum]]. Little doubt remains that these flies use nectar as a source of [[carbohydrate]]s to fuel flight, but just how and when this happens is unknown. One study showed the visual stimulus a blowfly receives from its [[compound eye]]s is responsible for causing its legs to extend from its flight position and allow it to land on any surface.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Goodman |first=Lesley J. |year=1964 |title=The landing responses of insects. II. The electrical response of the compound eye of the fly, ''Lucilia sericata'', upon stimluation by moving objects and slow changes of light intensity |journal=[[Journal of Experimental Biology]] |volume=41 |issue=2 |pages=403–415 |doi=10.1242/jeb.41.2.403 |url=http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/41/2/403.pdf}}</ref>

Larvae of most species are scavengers of carrion and dung, and most likely constitute the majority of the maggots found in such material, although they are not uncommonly found in close association with other dipterous larvae from the families [[Sarcophagidae]] and [[Muscidae]], and many other [[acalyptrate muscoid]] flies.{{cn|date=August 2022}}

===Predators===
Predators of blowflies include spiders,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Welch|first1=John B.|title=Predation by Spiders on Ground-Released Screwworm Flies, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in a Mountainous Area of Southern Mexico|journal=Journal of Arachnology|publisher=American Arachnological Society|location=Ithaca, New York|date=1993|volume=21|issue=1|pages=23–28|jstor=3705375}}</ref> beetles, frogs, and birds, including chickens.

In the Chihuahuan desert of Mexico, a fungus, ''[[Furia (fungus)|Furia vomitoriae]]'' {{Au|(Rozsypal) Humber (1989)}} (from the family of [[Entomophthoraceae]]) affects bluebottle flies. It forms masses of [[conidiophores]] erupting through the intersegmental areas (or clear bands) on the abdominal dorsum of the flies and eventually kills them.<ref name=Sanchez>{{cite journal |last1=Sanchez-Pena |first1=Sergio R. |title=Entomopathogens from two Chihuahuan desert localities in Mexico, Projects: Fall armyworm, ''Spodoptera frugiperda'', in north-eastern Mexico |journal=BioControl |date=April 2000 |volume=45 |issue=1 |pages=63–78 |doi=10.1023/A:1009915308907|s2cid=6876392 }}</ref>

==Diversity==
About 1,900 species of blowflies are known, with 120 species in the [[Neotropical|Neotropics]], and a large number of species in Africa and Southern Europe.{{cn|date=August 2022}}
Their typical habitats are temperate to tropical areas that provide a layer of loose, damp soil and litter where larvae may thrive and pupate.{{cn|date=August 2022}}

==Genera==
[[File:Calliphora vomitoria Portrait.jpg|thumb|Close-up of the head of ''[[Calliphora vomitoria]]'']]
[[File:Calliphora Livida.jpg|right|thumb|A ''[[Calliphora livida]]'' fly specimen]]
[[File:Calliphora sp.jpg|thumb|''[[Calliphora hilli]]'']]
[[File:Calliphora augur whitebackground.jpg|thumb|''[[Calliphora augur]]'']]
[[File:Caliphrodae head.jpg|thumb|upright|A close-up of the head of a ''Calliphora'']]

'''Sources:''' MYIA,<ref name="MYIA">{{cite journal
 |last=Sabrosky
 |first=Curtis W.
 |title=Family-Group Names in Diptera An annotated catalog
 |journal=Myia
 |url=http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/diptera/people/FCT_pdf/FGNAMES.pdf
 |volume=10
 |year=1999
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411095829/http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/Diptera/people/FCT_pdf/FGNAMES.pdf
 |archive-date=11 April 2008
}}</ref> FE,<ref name="FE">{{cite web
 | url = http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=10892
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051101001348/http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=10892
 | url-status = dead
 | archive-date = 1 November 2005
 | title = Taxon details: Calliphoridae
 | access-date = 31 May 2008
 | last1 = Rognes
 | first1 = Knut
 | author2 = Pape, Thomas
 | date = 19 April 2007
 | work = Fauna Europaea version 1.1
}}</ref> Nomina,<ref name="Nomina">{{cite web
 | url = http://www.nearctica.com/nomina/diptera/dipb-c.htm#anchor443206
 | title = Diptera: B–C
 | access-date = 31 May 2008
 | year = 1998
 | work = Nomina – a classification of the Insects of North America as portrayed in Nomina Insecta Nearctica
 | url-status = dead
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060506134546/http://www.nearctica.com/nomina/diptera/dipb-c.htm#anchor443206
 | archive-date = 6 May 2006
 }}</ref> A/O DC<ref name="aocat">{{cite web
 | url = http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/aocat/calliphoridae.html
 | title = 109. Family CALLIPHORIDAE
 | access-date = 31 May 2008
 | last = Kurahshi
 | first = Hiromu
 | date = 28 May 2007
 | work = Australasian/Oceanian Diptera Catalog
}}</ref>

This is a selected list of genera from the [[Palearctic]], [[Nearctic]], Malaysia (Japan), and [[Australasia]]:

{{div col|colwidth=26em}}
* ''[[Abago]]'' <small>Grunin, 1966</small><ref name="Grunin1966">{{cite journal |last=Grunin |first= K. Ya. |date= 1966 |title= New and little-known Calliphoridae (Diptera), mainly bloodsucking or subcutaneous parasites of birds |language= ru|journal= Ent. Obozr |volume= 45 |pages=897–903 }}</ref>
* ''[[Amenia (fly)|Amenia]]'' <small>[[Jean-Baptiste Robineau-Desvoidy|Robineau-Desvoidy]], 1830</small><ref name="Robineau-Desvoidy1830">{{cite journal |last1=Robineau-Desvoidy |first1=André Jean Baptiste |title=Essai sur les myodaires |journal=Mémoires presentés à l'Institut des Sciences, Lettres et Arts, par divers savants et lus dans ses assemblées: Sciences, Mathématiques et Physique |date=1830 |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=1–813 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3472165#page/9/mode/1up |access-date=15 July 2018}}</ref>
* ''[[Angioneura]]'' <small>[[Friedrich Moritz Brauer|Brauer]] & [[Julius von Bergenstamm|Bergenstamm]], 1893</small><ref name="BrauerBergenstamm1893">{{cite book |last1= Brauer|first1= F.|last2= Bergenstamm|first2= J. E. von |date= 1893 |title= Die Zweiflugler des Kaiserlichen Museums zu Wien, VI. Vorarbeiten zu einer Monographie der Muscaria Schizometopa (exclusive Anthomyidae) |publisher= F. Tempsky, Wien |volume= Pars III|pages= 152 }}</ref>
* ''[[Apaulina]]'' <small>Hall, 1948</small><ref name="Hall1948">{{cite book |last= Hall |first= D. G.|date=1948 |title= The blowflies of North America|publisher= Thomas Say Publ|page= 4}}</ref>
* ''[[Cynomya]]'' <small>[[Jean-Baptiste Robineau-Desvoidy|Robineau-Desvoidy]], 1830</small><ref name="Robineau-Desvoidy1830"/>
* ''[[Aphyssura]]'' <small>[[George Hudleston Hurlstone Hardy|Hardy]], 1940</small><ref name="Hardy1940">{{cite journal |last= Hardy|first= G. H. |date= 1940 |title= Notes on Australian Muscoidea |journal= Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland |volume= 51 |issue= 2 |pages= 133–146 |doi= 10.5962/p.168232 |s2cid= 257139797 |doi-access= free }}</ref>
* ''[[Auchmeromyia]]'' <small>[[Friedrich Moritz Brauer|Brauer]] & [[Julius von Bergenstamm|Bergenstamm]], 1891</small><ref name="BrauerBergenstamm1891">{{cite journal |last1= Brauer|first1= F.|last2= Bergenstamm|first2= J. E. von |date= 1891 |title= Die Zweiflugler des Kaiserlichen Museums zu Wien. V. Vorarbeiten zu einer Monographie der Muscaria Schizometopa (exclusive Anthomyidae) |journal= F. Tempsky, Wien|pages= 142}}</ref>
* ''[[Bellardia (fly)|Bellardia]]'' <small>[[Jean-Baptiste Robineau-Desvoidy|Robineau-Desvoidy]], 1863</small>
* ''[[Bengalia]]'' <small>[[Jean-Baptiste Robineau-Desvoidy|Robineau-Desvoidy]], 1830</small><ref name="Robineau-Desvoidy1830"/>
* ''[[Booponus]]'' <small>[[John Merton Aldrich|Aldrich]], 1923</small><ref name="Aldrich">{{cite journal |last = Aldrich |first = J. M. |date = 1923 |title = A new genus and species of fly reared from the hoof of the carabao |journal = The Philippine Journal of Science |volume = 22 |pages = 141–142|title-link = carabao }}</ref>
* ''[[Boreellus]]'' <small>[[John Merton Aldrich|Aldrich]] & [[Raymond Corbett Shannon|Shannon]], 1923</small>
* ''[[Caiusa]]'' <small>Surcouf, 1920</small><ref>{{cite web | url=http://mapress.com/zootaxa/2015/f/z03952p080f.pdf | title=Revision of the frog fly genus Caiusa Surcouf, 1920 (Diptera, Calliphoridae), with a note on the identity of Plinthomyia emimelania Rondani, 1875 | publisher=zootaxa | access-date=26 May 2016}}</ref>
* ''[[Calliphora]]'' <small>[[Jean-Baptiste Robineau-Desvoidy|Robineau-Desvoidy]], 1830</small><ref name="Robineau-Desvoidy1830"/>
* ''[[Callitroga]]'' <small>Hall, 1948</small><ref name="Hall1948"/>
* ''[[Catapicephala]]'' <small>[[Pierre-Justin-Marie Macquart|Macquart]], 1851</small><ref name="Macquart1851">{{cite journal |last = Macquart|first = P. J. M. |date = 1851 |title = Dipteres exotiques nouveaux ou peu connus. Suite du 4e supplement publie dans les memoires de 1849 |journal = Mémoires de la Société (Royale) des sciences, de l'agriculture et des arts à Lille |volume = 1850 |pages = 134–294 |url = https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/107754#page/156/mode/1up| access-date = 28 March 2021}}</ref>
* ''[[Chloroprocta]]'' <small>Wulp, 1896</small>
* ''[[Chrysomya]]'' <small>[[Jean-Baptiste Robineau-Desvoidy|Robineau-Desvoidy]], 1830</small><ref name="Robineau-Desvoidy1830"/>
* ''[[Cochliomyia]]'' <small>[[Charles Henry Tyler Townsend|Townsend]], 1915</small><ref name="Townsend1915">{{cite journal |last= Townsend |first= C. H. T. |date= 1915 |title= A new generic name for the screw-worm fly |journal=Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences |volume= 5|pages= 644–646}}</ref>
* ''[[Compsomyiops]]'' <small>[[Charles Henry Tyler Townsend|Townsend]], 1918</small><ref name="Townsend1918">{{cite journal |last= Townsend |first= C. H. T.  |date= 1918 |title= New muscoid genera, species and synonymy (Diptera) |journal= Insecutor Inscitiae Menstruus |volume = 6 |pages = 151–156 }}</ref>
* ''[[Cordylobia]]'' <small>Gruenberg, 1903</small>
* ''[[Cyanus]]'' <small>Hall, 1948</small><ref name="Hall1948"/>
* ''[[Dyscritomyia]]'' <small>Grimshaw, 1901</small><ref>{{cite journal |last = Grimshaw |first = P. H. |date = 1901 |title = Part I. Diptera |journal = Fauna Hawaiiensis |volume = 3 |issue = 1 |pages = 1–77}}</ref>
* ''[[Eggisops]]'' <small>[[Camillo Rondani|Rondani]], 1862</small>
* ''[[Eucalliphora]]'' <small>[[Charles Henry Tyler Townsend|Townsend]], 1908</small><ref name="Townsend1908">{{cite journal |last1=Townsend |first1=Charles Henry Tyler |title=The taxonomy of the muscoidean flies, including descriptions of new genera and species |journal=Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections |date=1908 |volume=51 |issue=2 |pages=1–138 |access-date=13 September 2021 |url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/23336/SMC_51_Townsend_1908_2_1-138.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y}}</ref>
* ''[[Eumesembrinella]]'' <small>[[Charles Henry Tyler Townsend|Townsend]], 1931</small><ref name="Townsend1931">{{cite journal |last=Townsend |first=Charles Haskins T. |date= 1931 |title=Notes on American oestromuscoid types |journal=Revista de Entomologia |location=Rio de Janeiro |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=157–183 }}</ref>
* ''[[Eurychaeta]]'' <small>[[Friedrich Moritz Brauer|Brauer]] & [[Julius von Bergenstamm|Bergenstamm]], 1891</small><ref name="BrauerBergenstamm1891"/>
* ''[[Euphumosia]]'' <small>[[John Russell MalloPolleniidaech|Malloch]], 1926</small><ref name="Malloch1926">{{cite journal |last1=Malloch |first1=J.R. |title=LXI.— Exotic Muscaridæ ( Diptera ).—XVIII |journal=Annals and Magazine of Natural History |date=May 1926 |volume=17 |issue=101 |pages=489–510 |doi=10.1080/00222932608633438 }}</ref>
* ''[[Hemilucilia]]'' <small>[[Friedrich Moritz Brauer|Brauer]], 1895</small><ref name="Brauer1895">{{cite journal |last=Brauer |first=F. |date=1895 |title=Bemerkungen zu einigen neuen Gattungen der Muscarien und Deutung einiger Original-Exemplare |trans-title=Comments on some new genera of the muscaria and interpretation of some original specimens |language=German |journal=Sitzungsberichte der Akademie der Wissenschaften |volume=104 |issue=1 |pages=582–604 |url=http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/pdf_files/129/1298074140.pdf }}</ref>
* ''[[Hemipyrellia]]'' <small>[[Charles Henry Tyler Townsend|Townsend]], 1918</small><ref name="Townsend1918"/>
* ''[[Lucilia (fly)|Lucilia]]'' <small>[[Jean-Baptiste Robineau-Desvoidy|Robineau-Desvoidy]], 1830</small><ref name="Robineau-Desvoidy1830"/>
* ''[[Melanomya]]'' <small>[[Camillo Rondani|Rondani]], 1856</small>
* ''[[Melinda (fly)|Melinda]]'' <small>[[Jean-Baptiste Robineau-Desvoidy|Robineau-Desvoidy]], 1830</small><ref name="Robineau-Desvoidy1830"/>
* ''[[Mufetiella]]'' <small>[[Joseph Villeneuve de Janti|Villeneuve]], 1933</small><ref name="Villeneuve1933">{{cite journal |last= Villeneuve |first=J. |date= 1933 |title=Myodaires superieurs asiatiques nouveaux |trans-title=New Asian Upper Myodia |language=French |journal=Bulletin et Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique |volume=73 |pages=195–199 }}</ref>
* ''[[Nesodexia]]'' <small>[[Joseph Villeneuve de Janti|Villeneuve]], 1911</small><ref name="Villeneuve1911">{{cite journal |last= Villeneuve |first=J. |date= 1911 |title= Dipterologische Sammelreise nack Korsika. (Dipt.) [Schluss] Tachinidae |journal= Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift |volume= 1911 |pages= 117–130}}</ref>
* ''[[Neta (fly)|Neta]]'' <small>[[Raymond Corbett Shannon|Shannon]], 1926</small><ref name="Shannon1926">{{cite journal |last1=Shannon |first1=Raymond Corbett |title=Synopsis of the American Calliphoridae (Diptera) |journal=Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington |date=1926 |volume=28 |pages=115–139 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16137529#page/149/mode/1up |access-date=5 June 2020}}</ref>
* ''[[Onesia]]'' <small>[[Jean-Baptiste Robineau-Desvoidy|Robineau-Desvoidy]], 1830</small><ref name="Robineau-Desvoidy1830"/>
* ''[[Opsodexia]]'' <small>[[Charles Henry Tyler Townsend|Townsend]], 1915</small><ref name="Townsend1915"/>
* ''[[Pachychoeromyia]]'' <small>[[Joseph Villeneuve de Janti|Villeneuve]], 1920</small><ref name="Villeneuve1920">{{cite journal |last1=Villeneuve de Janti |first1=Joseph |title=À propos de la révision des Muscidae testaceae de J. Surcouf |journal=Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France |date=1920 |volume=25 |issue=14 |pages=223–225 |doi=10.3406/bsef.1920.26657 |bibcode=1920AnSEF..25..223V |s2cid=243973475 |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/bsef_0037-928x_1920_num_25_14_26657 }}</ref>
* ''[[Paralucilia]]'' <small>[[Friedrich Moritz Brauer|Brauer]] & [[Julius von Bergenstamm|Bergenstamm]], 1891</small><ref name="BrauerBergenstamm1891"/>
* ''[[Paramenia]]'' <small>[[Friedrich Moritz Brauer|Brauer]] & [[Julius von Bergenstamm|Bergenstamm]], 1889</small><ref name="BrauerBergenstamm1889"/>
* ''[[Paraplatytropesa]]'' <small>Crosskey, 1965</small><ref name="Crosskey1965">{{cite journal |last= Crosskey |first= R. W. |date= 1965 |title= A systematic revision of the Ameniinae (Diptera: Calliphoridae) |journal= Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Entomology|volume= 16 |pages= 33–140 |doi=10.5962/bhl.part.21863|url= https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/21863 |doi-access= free }}</ref>
* ''[[Phormia]]'' <small>[[Jean-Baptiste Robineau-Desvoidy|Robineau-Desvoidy]], 1830</small><ref name="Robineau-Desvoidy1830"/>
* ''[[Phumosia]]'' <small>[[Jean-Baptiste Robineau-Desvoidy|Robineau-Desvoidy]], 1830</small><ref name="Robineau-Desvoidy1830"/>
* ''[[Platytropesa]]'' <small>[[Pierre-Justin-Marie Macquart|Macquart]], 1851</small><ref name="Macquart1851"/>
* ''[[Polleniopsis]]'' <small>[[Charles Henry Tyler Townsend|Townsend]], 1917</small><ref name="Townsend1917">{{cite journal |last1=Townsend |first1=C H T |title=Indian flies of the subfamily Rhiniinae |journal=Records of the Indian Museum |date=1917 |volume=13 |pages=185–202 |doi=10.5962/bhl.part.5859 |s2cid=90664939 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/5859 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
* ''[[Prosthetosoma]]'' <small>Silvestri, 1920</small><ref name="Silvestri1920">{{cite journal |last= Silvestri |first= F. |date= 1920 |title= Contribuzione alla conoscenza dei termitidi e termitofilidell' Africa occidentale. II. – Termitofili. Parte seconda|journal= Boll.Lab. Portici|volume= 14 |pages= 265–319 }}</ref>
* ''[[Protocalliphora]]'' <small>Hough, 1899</small><ref name="Hough1899">{{cite journal |last= Hough |first= G. de N. |date= 1899 |title= Some North American genera of the dipterous group, Calliphorinae Girschner |journal= Entomological News |volume= 10 |pages= 62–66 }}</ref>
* ''[[Protophormia]]'' <small>[[Charles Henry Tyler Townsend|Townsend]], 1908</small><ref name="Townsend1908"/>
* ''[[Ptilonesia]]'' <small>[[Mario Bezzi|Bezzi]], 1927</small><ref name="Bezzi1927">{{cite journal |last= Bezzi |first= Mario |date= 1927 |title= Some Calliphoridae (Diptera) from the South Pacific islands and Australia |journal= Bulletin of Entomological Research |volume= 17 |issue= 3|pages= 231–247|doi=10.1017/s0007485300019283}}</ref>
* ''[[Rhynchoestrus]]'' <small>[[Eugène Séguy|Séguy]], 1926</small><ref name="Séguy1926">{{cite journal |last= Séguy |first= Eugène |date= 1926 |title= Sur une forme nouvelle se rapportant aux "Oestridae dubiosae" |journal= Encyclopedia Ent. (B II) |volume= 3 |pages= 1–10 }}</ref>
* ''[[Sarconesia]]'' <small>[[Jacques-Marie-Frangile Bigot|Bigot]], 1857</small><ref name="Bigot1857">{{cite journal |last= Bigot |first= J. M. F. |date= 1857 |title= Dipteres nouveaux provenant du Chili |journal= Annales de la Société Entomologique de France |volume= 3|issue= 5|pages= 277–308 }}</ref>
* ''[[Silbomyia]]'' <small>[[Pierre-Justin-Marie Macquart|Macquart]], 1843</small><ref name="Macquart1943">{{cite journal |last = Macquart | first = P. J. M. |date = 1843 |title = Dipteres exotiques nouveaux ou peu connus |journal = Mem. Soc. R. Sci. Agric. Lille |volume = 2 |issue = 3 |pages = 162–460 }}</ref>
* ''[[Stilbomyella]]'' <small>[[John Russell Malloch|Malloch]], 1935</small><ref name="Malloch1935">{{cite journal |last= Malloch |first= J.R. |date= 1935 |title= The Diptera of the Territory of New Guinea. III. Families Musicidae and Tachinidae |journal= Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales |volume= 60 |pages= 74–78 }}</ref>
* ''[[Toxotarsus]]'' <small>[[Pierre-Justin-Marie Macquart|Macquart]], 1851</small><ref name="Macquart1851"/>
* ''[[Triceratopyga]]'' <small>[[Boris Rohdendorf|Rohdendorf]], 1931</small><ref name="Rohdendorf1931">{{cite journal |last= Rohdendorf |first= B. B. |date= 1931 |title= Calliphorinen-Studien IV (Dipt.). Eine neue Calliphorinen-Gattung aus Ostsibirien |journal= [[Zoologischer Anzeiger]] |volume= 95 |pages= 175–177 }}</ref>
* ''[[Tricyclea]]'' <small>Wulp, 1885</small><ref name="Wulp1885">{{cite journal |last= Wulp |first= F. M. van der |date= 1885 |title= Quelques dipteres exotiques |journal=Bulletin & Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique |volume= 28 |pages= cclxxxviii–ccxcvii }}</ref>
* ''[[Tricycleopsis]]''<small>[[Joseph Villeneuve de Janti|Villeneuve]], 1927</small><ref name="Villeneuve1927">{{cite journal |last= Villeneuve |first=J. |date= 1927 |title=Myodaires superieurs nouveaux de l'Œle de Formose |journal= Revue Zool. Bot. Afr |volume= 15 |pages= 387–397}}</ref>
* ''[[Trypocalliphora]]'' <small>Peus, 1960</small><ref name="Peus1960">{{cite journal |last= Tuomikoski |first= R. |date= 1960 |title = The Ocydromiinae group of subfamilies (Diptera, Empididae) |journal= Ann. Entomol. Fenn. |volume= 32 |pages= 282–294}}</ref>
* ''[[Xenocalliphora]]'' <small>[[John Russell Malloch|Malloch]], 1924</small><ref name="Malloch1924">{{cite journal |last= Malloch |first= J.R. |date= 1924 |title= The recorded Calliphoridae of New Zealand (Diptera) |journal= Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales |volume= 55 |pages= 638–640 }}</ref>
{{div col end}}

==Economic importance==

===Myiasis===
Blowflies have caught the interest of researchers in a variety of fields, although the large body of literature on calliphorids has been concentrated on solving the problem of [[myiasis]] in livestock. The sheep blowfly ''[[Lucilia cuprina]]'' causes the Australian sheep industry an estimated AU$170 million a year in losses.{{cn|date=December 2022}}

The most common causes of myiasis in humans and animals are the three dipteran families [[Oestridae]], Calliphoridae, and [[Sarcophagidae]]. Myiasis in humans is clinically categorized in six ways: dermal and subdermal, facial cavity, wound or trauma, gastrointestinal, vaginal, and generalized. If found in humans, the [[diptera]]n larvae are usually in their first instar. The only treatment necessary is just to remove the maggots, and the patient heals naturally.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Yazdi |first=Ismail |title=Oral mucosa myiasis caused by Oestrus Ovis |journal=Archives of Iranian Medicine |access-date=17 April 2008 |url=http://www.ams.ac.ir/AIM/0253/0253194.htm |archive-date=4 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080804102403/http://www.ams.ac.ir/AIM/0253/0253194.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Whilst not strictly a myiasis species, the [[Congo floor maggot]] feeds on mammal blood, occasionally human.{{cn|date=December 2022}}

===Screwworms===
The [[screwworm|New World primary screwworm]] (''[[Cochliomyia hominivorax]]''), once a major pest in [[Southern United States]], has been eradicated from the United States, Mexico, and Central America through an extensive release program by the USDA of [[Sterile insect technique|sterilized males]]. The USDA maintains a sterile screwworm fly production plant and release program in the eastern half of the Republic of [[Panama]] to keep fertile screwworms from migrating north. Currently, this species is limited to lowland tropical countries in South America and some Caribbean islands.{{cn|date=December 2022}}

The Old World primary screwworm (''[[Chrysomya bezziana]]'') is an [[obligate parasite]] of mammals. This fly is distributed throughout the Old World, including Southeast Asia, tropical and subtropical Africa, some countries in the Middle East, India, the [[Malay Peninsula]], the Indonesian and [[Philippine Islands]], and Papua New Guinea.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sutherst |first1=R. W. |last2=Spradbery |first2=J. P. |last3=Maywald |first3=G. F. |title=The potential geographical distribution of the Old World screwworm fly, Chrysomya bezziana |journal=Med. Vet. Entomol |year=1989 |volume=3 |issue=3 |pages=273–280 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2915.1989.tb00228.x |pmid=2519672 |s2cid=45377881 }}</ref>  <!--The fly is an agent of [[myiasis]], which is the infestation of tissue on a living mammal.-->

The secondary screwworm (''[[Cochliomyia macellaria]]'') has become one of the principal species on which to base [[post-mortem interval|''post mortem'' interval]] estimations because its succession and occurrence on decomposing remains has been well defined. The secondary screwworm is found throughout the United States and the American tropics, and in southern Canada during summers. This species is one of the most common species found on decomposing remains in the US South.<ref>{{cite web |last=Byrd |first=Jason H. |title=Secondary Screwworms |work=Featured Creatures Jan 1998 1–2 |access-date=28 March 2008 |url=http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/livestock/secondary_screwworm.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310173527/http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/livestock/secondary_screwworm.htm |archive-date=10 March 2008 }}</ref>

===Maggot therapy===
[[Maggot therapy|Maggot debridement therapy]] (MDT) is the medical use of selected, laboratory-raised fly larvae for cleaning nonhealing wounds. Medicinal maggots perform [[debridement]] by selectively eating only dead tissue. ''[[Lucilia sericata]]'' (''Phaenicia sericata''), or the common green bottlefly, is the preferred species used in maggot therapy.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Monaghan |first=Peter |title=Rx:Maggots, Notes from Academe |journal=The Chronicle of Higher Education |date=1 June 2007 |volume=53 |issue=39 |pages=A48 }}</ref> MDT can be used to treat pressure ulcers, diabetic foot wounds, venous stasis ulcers, and postsurgical wounds.<ref>{{cite web |last=Sherman |first=R. |title=Maggot Therapy Project |work=Maggot Therapy |date=Sep 2006 |access-date=28 March 2008 |url=http://www.ucihs.uci.edu/som/pathology/sherman/home_pg.htm }}</ref>

===Disease===
Adults may be vectors of pathogens of diseases such as [[dysentery]]. Flies, most commonly Calliphoridae, have frequently been associated with disease transmission in humans and animals, as well as myiasis. Studies and research have linked ''[[Calliphora]]'' and ''[[Lucilia (fly)|Lucilia]]'' to vectors of causal agents of bacterial infections. These larvae, commonly seen on decaying bodies, feed on carrion while the adults can be [[necrophagous]] or vegetative. During the process of decay, [[microorganism]]s (e.g. ''[[Mycobacterium]]'') may be released through the body. Flies arrive at the scene and lay their eggs. The larvae begin eating and breaking down the corpse, simultaneously ingesting these organisms which is the first step of one transmission route.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

The bacterium which causes [[paratuberculosis]] in cattle, pigs and birds (''M. a. avium'') has been isolated and recovered from these flies through several different experiments.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

Other potential and threatening diseases include [[rabbit haemorrhagic disease]]{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} in New Zealand and [[flystrike]]. Although strike is not limited to blow flies, these maggots are a major source of this skin invasion, causing lesions, which, if severe enough, may be lethal. Strike starts when blow flies lay eggs in a wound or fecal material present on the sheep. When the maggots hatch, they begin feeding on the sheep and thus irritating it. As soon as the first wave of maggots hatch, they attract more blow flies, causing the strike. Insecticides are available for blow fly prevention (typically containing [[cypermethrin]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Novartis_Animal_Health_UK_Ltd/Crovect_1_25_ACU-_w_v_Pour-on_Solution_for_Sheep/-27940.html |title=Presentation |work=www.noahcompendium.co.uk |access-date=14 August 2022}}</ref>), and precautionary measures may be taken, such as [[Docking (animal)|docking tails]], shearing, and keeping the sheep healthy overall.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Novartis_Animal_Health_UK_Ltd/Crovect_1_25_ACU-_w_v_Pour-on_Solution_for_Sheep/-27942.html |title=NOAH Compendium of Animal Medicines: Crovect 1.25% w/v Pour-on Solution for Sheep – Dosage and administration |url-status=dead |access-date=11 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019165440/http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Novartis_Animal_Health_UK_Ltd/Crovect_1_25_ACU-_w_v_Pour-on_Solution_for_Sheep/-27942.html |archive-date=19 October 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Peacock |first=Andrew |title=Blow fly in Sheep |work=Newfoundland and Labrador Agriculture |date=31 August 2004 |access-date=15 April 2008 |url=http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/animal_diseases/domestic/pdf/blowfly04.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217172438/http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/animal_diseases/domestic/pdf/blowfly04.pdf |archive-date=17 December 2008}}</ref>

[[Salmonellosis]] has also been proven to be transmitted by the blow fly through saliva, feces and direct contact by the flies' tarsi. Adult flies may be able to spread pathogens via their sponging mouthparts, vomit, intestinal tract, sticky pads of their feet, or even their body or leg hairs.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Olsen |first=Alan R. |year=1998 |title=Regulatory Action Criteria for Filth and Other Extraneous Materials*1 III. Review of Flies and Foodborne Enteric Disease |journal=[[Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology]] |volume=28 |issue=3 |pages=199–211 |doi=10.1006/rtph.1998.1271|pmid=10049791 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1229964 |type=Submitted manuscript }}</ref>

As the flies are vectors of many diseases, the importance of identifying the transmissible agents, the route of transmission, and prevention and treatments in the event of contact are becoming increasingly important. With the ability to lay hundreds of eggs in a lifetime and the presence of thousands of larvae at a time in such close proximity, the potential for transmission is high, especially at ideal temperatures.{{cn|date=December 2022}}

=== Pollination ===
Calliphoridae are, alongside managed and wild [[bee]]s, likely to be the main crop [[Pollination|pollinating]] insect. They visit (and thus may pollinate) flowers of a wide range of plants, including crop plants (e.g. [[avocado]], [[mango]], [[onion]], [[leek]], [[carrot]], [[cauliflower]]). Their sponging mouthparts mean that when visiting flowers, their head and upper body must broadly contact the inside of the flower. They have numerous hairs, including on the head and thorax, which may help them carry [[pollen]], and indeed calliphorids in the wild have been observed carrying large amounts of pollen. Compared to [[honey bee]]s, blow flies are active under a broader range of environmental conditions. However, it is unknown how their pollination abilities compare to those of bees, there are few studies assessing their contribution to pollination, and the exact species that pollinate are often not identified.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cook |first1=David F |last2=Voss |first2=Sasha C |last3=Finch |first3=Jonathan T D |last4=Rader |first4=Romina C |last5=Cook |first5=James M |last6=Spurr |first6=Cameron J |date=2020-06-02 |title=The Role of Flies as Pollinators of Horticultural Crops: An Australian Case Study with Worldwide Relevance |journal=Insects |language=en |volume=11 |issue=6 |pages=341 |doi=10.3390/insects11060341 |issn=2075-4450 |pmc=7349676 |pmid=32498457 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Forensic importance==
Blow flies are usually the first insects to come in contact with [[carrion]] because they have the ability to smell dead animal matter from up to {{convert|1|mi|km|abbr=on|1}} away.<ref>{{cite book |author=Joel Greenberg |year=2004 |title=A Natural History of the Chicago Region |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |isbn=978-0-226-30649-0 |chapter=Many more than we know: insects |pages=291–316 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OXA1VVOSUg4C&pg=PA307}}</ref> Upon reaching the carrion, females deposit eggs on it. Since development is highly predictable if the ambient temperature is known, blow flies are considered a valuable tool in [[forensic science]]. Blow flies are used forensically to estimate the minimum ''post mortem'' interval (PMI<sub>min</sub>) for human corpses.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Klong-klaew|first1=Tunwadee|last2=Ngoen-klan|first2=Ratchadawan|last3=Moophayak|first3=Kittikhun|last4=Sukontason|first4=Kom|last5=Irvine|first5=Kim|last6=Tomberlin|first6=Jeffery|last7=Kurahashi|first7=Hiromu|last8=Chareonviriyaphap|first8=Theeraphap|last9=Somboon|first9=Pradya|date=December 2018|title=Spatial Distribution of Forensically Significant Blow Flies in Subfamily Luciliinae (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand: Observations and Modeling Using GIS|journal=Insects|language=en|volume=9|issue=4|pages=181|doi=10.3390/insects9040181|pmid=30513924|pmc=6315425|doi-access=free }}</ref> Traditional estimations of time since death are generally unreliable after 72 hours and often [[entomology|entomologists]] are the only officials capable of generating an accurate approximate time interval. The specialized discipline related to this practice is known as [[forensic entomology]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.key-net.net/users/swb/forensics/BF.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061013002648/http://www.key-net.net/users/swb/forensics/BF.htm |archive-date=13 October 2006 |title=Blow flies: their life cycle and where to look for the various stages |author=Stephen W. Bullington |work=Forensic Entomology |date=24 July 2001 |access-date=13 January 2012}}</ref>

In addition to being used to estimate the PMI<sub>min</sub>, assuming colonization occurred after death, blow fly specimens found infesting a human corpse are used to determine if the corpse was relocated or if the individual ingested narcotics prior to death.{{cn|date=December 2022}}

''[[Calliphora vicina]]'' and ''[[Cynomya mortuorum]]'' are important flies of forensic entomology. Other forensically important Calliphoridae are ''[[Phormia regina]]'', ''[[Calliphora vomitoria]]'', ''[[Calliphora livida]]'', ''[[Lucilia cuprina]]'', ''[[Lucilia sericata]]'', ''[[Lucilia illustris]]'', ''[[Chrysomya rufifacies]]'', ''[[Chrysomya megacephala]]'', ''[[Cochliomyia macellaria]]'', and ''[[Protophormia terraenovae]]''. One myth states that species from the genus ''[[Lucilia (fly)|Lucilia]]'' can sense death and show up right before it even occurs.<ref name="Brundage">{{cite journal |last=Brundage |first=Adrienne |title=Calliphoridae |publisher=Texas A&M University, College Station |date=13–15 February 2008}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Identification==
* [[Fritz Konrad Ernst Zumpt]] Calliphorinae, in Lindner, E. ''Fliegen Palaearkt. Reg''. 64i, 140 p. (1956)
* Fan, C. T. ''Key to the common synanthropic flies of China''. Peking [= Beijing]. xv + 330 p.&nbsp;In Chinese but really excellent illustrations. (1965).
* Kano, R. and Shinonaga, S. ''Calliphoridae (Insecta: Diptera) (Fauna Japonica)'', Tokyo Biogeographical Society of Japan, Tokyo.( 1968). In English.
* Lehrer, A. Z., Diptera. Familia ''Calliphoridae''. In: Fauna R.S.R., Insecta, vol. XI,(12), Edit. R.S.R., Bucuresti, 1972, 245 p.&nbsp;In Romanian.
* Rognes, K. ''Blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of Fennoscandia and Denmark''. [[Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica]], Volume 24. E. J. Brill/Scandinavian Science Press Ltd. Leiden.(1991).

==External links==
* {{commons category-inline|Calliphoridae}}
* {{Wikispecies-inline|Calliphoridae}}
* [http://www.diptera.info/photogallery.php?album_id=6 Image Gallery]
* [http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/livestock/secondary_screwworm.htm Secondary screwworm] on the [[University of Florida]] / [[Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences]] ''Featured Creatures'' website

{{Diptera|2}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q28404}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Calliphoridae| ]]
[[Category:Brachycera families]]
[[Category:Insect vectors of animal pathogens]]
[[Category:Insect vectors of human pathogens]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Friedrich Moritz Brauer]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Julius von Bergenstamm]]