Musca autumnalis
Encyclopedia
Musca autumnalis, the face fly or autumn house-fly, is a pest of cattle
and horse
s
, with a grey-black patterned abdomen. Like many true flies
, in the male
s, the eyes almost touch when viewed from above.
, Central Asia
, also North India
, Pakistan
, China
, and some parts of North Africa
.
It has been introduced into North America
around the 1940s, and now spread to cover from Southern Canada
into most temperate
parts of the United States. also introduced to St Helena Island
in the South Atlantic
around March to early April. Daytime they feed on manure juices and plant sugars. On cattle and horses they feed on secretions of the facial orifices, around the eyes, mouth and nostrils. The adult flies will also feed on the hosts blood through wounds such as Horse-fly
bites. A larger proportion of face flies on the host will be females, as they have a higher need for protein
provided by animal hosts. Night time both sexes will rest on vegetation
Females deposit eggs on fresh cow manure
, and these hatch within hours post deposition. The yellowish white maggot
s feed on the microbial flora
and fauna
of the manure and pass though three larval stages (instars), growing to about 12 mm long. Then develop into a white pupa
. Emerging as Adults approximately 10 to 20 days after egg deposit, dependent on temperature.
rhodesi to cattle
and horse
s, and Pinkeye (Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis
) in Cattle.
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s
Description
The face fly is similar to the closely related house fly. Slightly larger, averaging about 7 - 8 mm long and Grey in colour with 4 dark stripes on the thoraxThorax
The thorax is a division of an animal's body that lies between the head and the abdomen.-In tetrapods:...
, with a grey-black patterned abdomen. Like many true flies
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
, in the male
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
s, the eyes almost touch when viewed from above.
Distribution
Musca autumnalis is widespread throughout Most of EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, also North India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and some parts of North Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
It has been introduced into North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
around the 1940s, and now spread to cover from Southern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
into most temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
parts of the United States. also introduced to St Helena Island
Saint Helena
Saint Helena , named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which also includes Ascension Island and the islands of Tristan da Cunha...
in the South Atlantic
Life cycle
Adult flies will emerge from winter hibernationHibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
around March to early April. Daytime they feed on manure juices and plant sugars. On cattle and horses they feed on secretions of the facial orifices, around the eyes, mouth and nostrils. The adult flies will also feed on the hosts blood through wounds such as Horse-fly
Horse-fly
Insects in the order Diptera, family Tabanidae, are commonly called horse flies. Often considered pests for the bites that many inflict, they are among the world's largest true flies. They are known to be extremely noisy during flight. They are also important pollinators of flowers, especially in...
bites. A larger proportion of face flies on the host will be females, as they have a higher need for protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
provided by animal hosts. Night time both sexes will rest on vegetation
Females deposit eggs on fresh cow manure
Manure
Manure is organic matter used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Manures contribute to the fertility of the soil by adding organic matter and nutrients, such as nitrogen, that are trapped by bacteria in the soil...
, and these hatch within hours post deposition. The yellowish white maggot
Maggot
In everyday speech the word maggot means the larva of a fly ; it is applied in particular to the larvae of Brachyceran flies, such as houseflies, cheese flies, and blowflies, rather than larvae of the Nematocera, such as mosquitoes and Crane flies...
s feed on the microbial flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
of the manure and pass though three larval stages (instars), growing to about 12 mm long. Then develop into a white pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
. Emerging as Adults approximately 10 to 20 days after egg deposit, dependent on temperature.
As a vector of disease
Musca autumnalis is considered a pest species, as it transmits eyeworm ThelaziaThelazia
Thelazia is a genus of nematode worms which parasitize the eyes and associated tissues of various bird and mammal hosts, including humans. They are often called "eyeworms," and infestation with Thelazia species is referred to as "thelaziasis"...
rhodesi to cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s, and Pinkeye (Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis
Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis
Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis, or IBK, is a veterinary infection of cattle caused by Moraxella bovis, a gram negative, β-haemolytic, aerobic, rod shaped bacterium. It is spread by direct contact or by the common fly serving as a vector. It is the most common ocular disease of cattle...
) in Cattle.