Golden dung fly

Description:

Scathophaga stercoraria are sexually dimorphic insects with an average lifespan of one to two months. The adult males of Scathophaga stercoraria are bright golden-yellow with orange-yellow fur on the front legs. Females are a little duller in colour, with pronounced green-brown tinges, and no brightly coloured fur on the front legs. The adults range from 5 mm to 11 mm in length, and the males are generally larger than the females. The physical features of separate Scathophaga stercoraria populations can vary greatly, due in part to the range of locations in which the species is found. The adults mainly prey on smaller insects — mostly other Diptera. They can also consume nectar and dung as additional sources of energy. Females spend most of their time foraging in the surrounding vegetation and only visit dung pats to mate and oviposit on the dung surface. Both males and females are attracted to dung by scent, and approach dung pats against the wind. Males will spend most of their time on the cow pats, waiting for females and feeding on other insects that visit the dung, such as blow-flies. In the absence of other prey, the yellow dung fly will turn to cannibalism. The “S. stercoraria” larva are coprophagous, relying on the dung pat for nutrition.

Habitat:

Generally, they are located in cooler temperate regions, including North America, Asia, and Europe. They may also favour higher latitudes, such as the Swiss Alps, and higher altitudes, such as the Pyrenees.

Notes:

Scathophaga stercoraria, commonly known as the yellow dung fly or the golden dung fly, is one of the most familiar and abundant flies in many parts of the northern hemisphere. As its common name suggests, it is often found on the feces of large mammals, such as horses, cows, sheep, deer, and wild boar, where it goes to breed. The distribution of Scathophaga stercoraria is likely influenced by human agriculture, especially in Northern Europe and North America. Scathophaga are integral in the animal kingdom due to their role in the natural erosion of dung in fields. They are also very important in the scientific world due to their short life cycles and susceptibility to experimental manipulations, and have thus contributed significant knowledge about animal behaviour.