A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Chrysomya megacephala
Chrysomya megacephala, more commonly known as the oriental latrine fly, is a warm-weather fly with a greenish-blue metallic box-like body which belongs to the family Calliphoridae (blowflies). This fly can be a nuisance to humans and even cause accidental myiasis. C. megacephala contributes to the evolution of some insects, influences animal atmospheres, negatively alters human public health, and is a tool in forensic entomology.
C. megacephala stretches across vast regions of the world. It is particularly prevalent in the Oriental region and the Australasian region, including the eastern coast of Queensland and New South Wales. It is found in Japan and Palearctic regions as well. Since the 1970s, C. megacephala has extended to different areas of the world, encroaching on the new territories of New Zealand and Africa along with South, Central, and North America. C. megacephala began occupying the United States by means of harbors and airports. The oriental latrine fly has been found in California as well as Texas, Louisiana, and Hawaii. C. megacephala consists of two forms, the normal and the derived. Tropical forests on the South Pacific islands, like Samoa, are home to the normal form; furthermore, normal is considered the plesiomorphic form of C. megacephala. The derived form is thought to have emerged from Papua New Guinea and is said to be synanthropic, ecologically associated with humans.
Spotted on the green after the rain.
No Comments