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Common fly species
Flies can regularly be found in homes and businesses across Fiji.
Some species are more common than others and are attracted to different environments suited to their natural habits and lifecycle.
Knowing about the size, habits, seasonality and lifecycle of different fly species, can help to identify the most effective prevention and fly control methods.
FACT: On average, the adult housefly will live for around 30 days. They go through a complete four-stage cycle that consists of egg, larva, pupa and adult stages.
Bluebottle fly
(Calliphora vomitoria)
Bluebottle flies (also known as Blow fly) can often be seen hovering around dustbins. These scavengers are attracted to pet faeces and dead animals and as such are known carriers of disease.
Their name originates from their iridescent colours that are similar to coloured bottles.
Key Facts
- Adult is 1/4" - 1/2" in length.
- Metallic blue colour.
- Larva — Similar to the house fly larva in all respects except size. 3/4" when mature. They take 7 – 12 days to mature.
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Lifecycle
- Eggs hatch 0 – 18 hrs (partial development may occur within the female).
- Breeds in mostly meat derived substances, sometimes cheese.
- Common pest of dead rodents/birds etc.
Bush Fly
(Musca vetustissima)
Appearance
- 2-6mm long.
- Similar in appearance to the house fly but smaller.
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Lifecycle
- Only last 2-5 weeks.
- Eggs are inserted into the excrement of large animals (especially grazing animals).
- Eggs usually hatch within a day and the larvae usually leave the feeding medium to pupate in adjacent soil.
Habits
- Adults seek large animals, including humans, and remain on and around them for hours at a time being attracted to sweat, tears, saliva and in cases of grazing animals, faeces.
- Transmit eye infections to humans and livestock and may also transmit other enteric diseases to humans.
Cluster fly
(Pollenia rudis)
Cluster flies are commonly found in quiet, undisturbed parts of your home, such as attics and wall voids. They require warm places to hibernate over winter.
You may see a large group of cluster flies around a window, as they are attracted to the light on sunny winter days.
Key Facts
- 6–10mm in length.
- Dark grey–olive thorax clothed with crinkled golden–brown hairs.
- Wings overlap when at rest.
- Sluggish in flight.
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Lifecycle
- Eggs laid in soil in late summer or early autumn.
- Larva develop in earthworms – feeding on their host for several days. Then they molt and pupate in the soil.
- Development time from egg to adult is about 27 to 39 days.
Flesh fly
(Family - Sarcophagidae)
Appearance
- 6-14mm long.
- Thorax is light grey and has 3 dark longitudinal stripes.
- Abdomen is also light grey, spotted with dark patches to give a checker board appearance.
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Lifecycle
- Lifecycle lasts for 2-4 weeks.
- The female deposits live larvae on a suitable feeding medium (this can range from spoilt meat or fish, or animal excrement, or in decaying food waste found in garbage bins).
- Larvae feed for a few days, then move away from the feeding medium to pupate in adjacent drier parts.
Habits
- They are attracted to decaying wastes, excrement and human foods – making a threat to human health.
Fruit Fly
(Drosophila species)
Fruit flies are commonly found infesting fruit or hovering around fermenting residues found in pubs, fruit orchards & vegetables plots and breweries
Key Facts
- 3mm in length.
- Yellow–brown or mottled in colour.
- Bright red eyes.
- Abdomen hangs down in flight, which is slow.
- Tend to hover.
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Lifecycle
- They can breed in rotten fruit, unclean drains and even cleaning utensils.
- Develops to adult in 7–30 days.
- Adult lives 2–9 weeks.
- In ideal temperature conditions, fruit flies can complete their development in as little as 1 week.
House fly
(Musca domestica)
House flies are major carriers of disease and can infest all types of premises. They are attracted to all types of food, including human food, pet food, animal feed, food waste and even faeces. Seeing adult flies is usually the most common sign of activity and a potential problem. Larvae may also be seen as they crawl out of breeding material to pupate.
Key Facts
- Adult is 5–8mm in length.
- Grey thorax with 4 narrow stripes.
- Buff or yellow abdomen.
- Covered with small hairs that serve as taste organs.
- Complex compound eyes – with thousands of lenses allows them a wide field of vision.
- 4th wing vein bent and wing tips slightly pointed.
- Larva is white and tapers to a point at the head end. There are 2 spiracle “spots” at the hind end, is legless and 12 mm in length when mature.
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Lifecycle
House flies are able to quickly mature from an egg to an adult. They breed in moist decaying vegetable matter eg. in uncovered dustbin or pet food.
- Eggs are laid in batches of 120 to 150 and can hatch in 8 – 72 hours.
- The larvae of House Flies can take 3 – 60 days to mature.
- Pupae matures in 3 – 28 days.
Once indoors, house flies can be found resting on walls, floors or ceilings. Outdoors they can be seen on plants, the ground, fences, compost heaps and rubbish bins.
At night them they prefer to rest near food sources approx. 5 to 15 feet off the ground.
Sand fly
(Spiriverpa lunulata)
Adult sand flies can be a real biting nuisance. They live on sandy riverbanks with an open habitat free of shading trees.
Females prefer to lay their eggs in damp soil or in the water.
Key Facts
- Adult — 10–11mm long.
- Body has a pale grey colour.
- Eyes are bronze–brown.
- Legs are dark reddish–brown.
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Life Cycle
- The larvae can take up to two years to develop and live in loose sand.
- In the pupal stage the larvae curls into a circle or “u” shape lasting one or two weeks.