Lesser Housefly

Description:

3.5–6 mm or 0.14–0.24 in, somewhat smaller than common housefly. Pictured here on a petal of a Showy Goat's-Beard.

Notes:

The housefly is known to transmit microorganisms responsible for dysentery, anthrax, typhoid fever, and other diseases. They may be kept at bay by attaching clear plastic bags half full of water outside doors and windows. The constant motion of the water interferes with the insect's vision. They are believed to have evolved in the beginning of the Cenozoic era, some 65 million years ago.