Sarcophaga
Encyclopedia
Sarcophaga is a genus
of true flies
, the type of the flesh-fly
family
(Sarcophagidae).
This genus occurs essentially worldwide. These flies are generally well-sized and of a greyish color; like many of their relatives, the typical patterns are lengthwise darker stripes on the thorax
and dark and light square dots on the abdomen
. Many have conspicuous red compound eyes. These are set further apart in females than in males; the females are also larger on average. As typical for this family, it is almost impossible to tell the species apart from their outward appearance, and many can only be reliably identified by microscopic
examination of the males' genitalia.
As the common name implies, their larva
e typically feed on decaying meat
. Some, however, rather eat the bacteria
and other small organisms living on carrion
. Many species have adapted
to humans, and while they are usually nuisance pests, some are medically significant vectors of pathogen
s and bacteria. Sometimes, the larvae cause myiasis
. Others are parasitoid
s of pest caterpillar
s and beneficial in forestry
and orchard
s.
Well-known species are Sarcophaga africa
, Sarcophaga bercaea, the grey flesh-fly Sarcophaga bullata
, Sarcophaga carnaria, Sarcophaga crassipalpis
, the friendly fly Sarcophaga aldrichi
and the red-tailed flesh-fly Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis
.
is divided among the following subgenera, some of which are occasionally considered (and may well be) distinct genera
:
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of 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...
, the type of the flesh-fly
Flesh-fly
Flies of the Diptera family Sarcophagidae are commonly known as flesh flies. Most flesh flies breed in carrion, dung, or decaying material, but a few species lay their eggs in the open wounds of mammals; hence their common name...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
(Sarcophagidae).
This genus occurs essentially worldwide. These flies are generally well-sized and of a greyish color; like many of their relatives, the typical patterns are lengthwise darker stripes on the thorax
Thorax
The thorax is a division of an animal's body that lies between the head and the abdomen.-In tetrapods:...
and dark and light square dots on the abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
. Many have conspicuous red compound eyes. These are set further apart in females than in males; the females are also larger on average. As typical for this family, it is almost impossible to tell the species apart from their outward appearance, and many can only be reliably identified by microscopic
Microscopic
The microscopic scale is the scale of size or length used to describe objects smaller than those that can easily be seen by the naked eye and which require a lens or microscope to see them clearly.-History:...
examination of the males' genitalia.
As the common name implies, their larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e typically feed on decaying meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
. Some, however, rather eat the bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
and other small organisms living on carrion
Carrion
Carrion refers to the carcass of a dead animal. Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters include vultures, hawks, eagles, hyenas, Virginia Opossum, Tasmanian Devils, coyotes, Komodo dragons, and burying beetles...
. Many species have adapted
Adaptation
An adaptation in biology is a trait with a current functional role in the life history of an organism that is maintained and evolved by means of natural selection. An adaptation refers to both the current state of being adapted and to the dynamic evolutionary process that leads to the adaptation....
to humans, and while they are usually nuisance pests, some are medically significant vectors of pathogen
Pathogen
A pathogen gignomai "I give birth to") or infectious agent — colloquially, a germ — is a microbe or microorganism such as a virus, bacterium, prion, or fungus that causes disease in its animal or plant host...
s and bacteria. Sometimes, the larvae cause myiasis
Myiasis
Myiasis is a general term for infection by parasitic fly larvae feeding on the host's necrotic or living tissue. Colloquialisms for myiasis include flystrike, blowfly strike, and fly-blown. In Greek, "myia" means fly....
. Others are parasitoid
Parasitoid
A parasitoid is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life history attached to or within a single host organism in a relationship that is in essence parasitic; unlike a true parasite, however, it ultimately sterilises or kills, and sometimes consumes, the host...
s of pest caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s and beneficial in forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
and orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s.
Well-known species are Sarcophaga africa
Sarcophaga africa
Sarcophaga africa is a species of fly belonging to the family Sarcophagidae, the flesh-flies. It is the best known species in its genus. S. africa feeds on living and dead tissue, including snails, and other decomposing matter, and feces.S. africa is a synanthropic species known to cause myiasis...
, Sarcophaga bercaea, the grey flesh-fly Sarcophaga bullata
Sarcophaga bullata
Sarcophaga bullata, or the grey flesh fly, is a species of fly belonging to the family Sarcophagidae. It is 7.5 to 15 millimeters in length and is very similar in appearance and behavior to a closely related species, Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis. S. bullata is a common scavenger species in the...
, Sarcophaga carnaria, Sarcophaga crassipalpis
Sarcophaga crassipalpis
The flesh fly Sarcophaga crassipalpis is a common laboratory animal used in the study of gene expression and the study of diapause in insects....
, the friendly fly Sarcophaga aldrichi
Sarcophaga aldrichi
The friendly fly or large flesh fly, Sarcophaga aldrichi, is a fly that is a parasitoid of the forest tent caterpillar. It strongly resembles the house fly but is in a different family, the Sarcophagidae, or flesh-flies.. It is a little larger than the house fly, and has the same three black...
and the red-tailed flesh-fly Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis
Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis
Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis, also known as the red-tailed flesh fly, is a fly in the Sarcophagidae family. This fly often breeds in carrion and feces, making it a possible vector for disease. The larvae of this species can cause myiasis, as well as accidental myiasis...
.
Subgenera
The immense number of Sarcophaga speciesSpecies
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
is divided among the following subgenera, some of which are occasionally considered (and may well be) distinct genera
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
:
- Sarcophaga (Aethianella)
- Sarcophaga (Aethiopisca)
- Sarcophaga (Afrohelicobia)
- Sarcophaga (Afrothyrsocnema)
- Sarcophaga (Alisarcophagaa)
- Sarcophaga (Amharomyia)
- Sarcophaga (Anthostilophalla)
- Sarcophaga (Asceloctella)
- Sarcophaga (Asiopierretia)
- Sarcophaga (Australopierretia)
- Sarcophaga (Baliisca)
- Sarcophaga (Baranovisca)
- Sarcophaga (Batissophalla)
- Sarcophaga (Bellieriomima)
- Sarcophaga (Bercaea)
- Sarcophaga (Bercaeopsis)
- Sarcophaga (Beziella)
- Sarcophaga (Bilenemyia)
- Sarcophaga (Boettcherisca)
- Sarcophaga (Brasia)
- Sarcophaga (Caledonia)
- Sarcophaga (Callostuckenbergia)
- Sarcophaga (Camerounisca)
- Sarcophaga (Cercosarcophaga)
- Sarcophaga (Chaetophalla)
- Sarcophaga (Chrysosarcophaga)
- Sarcophaga (Curranisca)
- Sarcophaga (Curtophalla)
- Sarcophaga (Cyclophalla)
- Sarcophaga (Danbeckia)
- Sarcophaga (Casyschloctis)
- Sarcophaga (Dinemomyia)
- Sarcophaga (Diplonophalla)
- Sarcophaga (Discachaeta)
- Sarcophaga (Colichophalla)
- Sarcophaga (Drakensbergiana)
- Sarcophaga (Durbanella)
- Sarcophaga (Dysparaphalla)
- Sarcophaga (Fengia)
- Sarcophaga (Fergusonimyia)
- Sarcophaga (Fijimyia)
- Sarcophaga (Hardyella)
- Sarcophaga (Harpagophalla)
- Sarcophaga (Harpagophalloides)
- Sarcophaga (Helicophagella)
- Sarcophaga (Heteronychia)
- Sarcophaga (Hoa)
- Sarcophaga (Horisca)
- Sarcophaga (Hosarcophaga)
- Sarcophaga (Hyperacanthisca)
- Sarcophaga (Ihosyia)
- Sarcophaga (Iranihindia)
- Sarcophaga (Johnsonimima)
- Sarcophaga (Johnstonimyia)
- Sarcophaga (Kalshovenella)
- Sarcophaga (Kanoa)
- Sarcophaga (Kanomyia)
- Sarcophaga (Kozlovea)
- Sarcophaga (Kramerea)
- Sarcophaga (Krameromyia)
- Sarcophaga (Leucomyia)
- Sarcophaga (Lipoptilocnema)
- Sarcophaga (Lioplacella)
- Sarcophaga (Lioproctia)
- Sarcophaga (Liopygia)
- Sarcophaga (Liosarcophaga)
- Sarcophaga (Macabiella)
- Sarcophaga (Malliophala)
- Sarcophaga (Mandalania)
- Sarcophaga (Mauritiella)
- Sarcophaga (Mehria)
- Sarcophaga (Mimarhopocnemis)
- Sarcophaga (Mindanaoa)
- Sarcophaga (Mufindia)
- Sarcophaga (Myorhina)
- Sarcophaga (Neobellieria)
- Sarcophaga (Neosarcophaga)
- Sarcophaga (Nesbittia)
- Sarcophaga (Nigerimyia)
- Sarcophaga (Nihonea)
- Sarcophaga (Notoecus)
- Sarcophaga (Nudicerca)
- Sarcophaga (Nuzzaciella)
- Sarcophaga (Nyikamyia)
- Sarcophaga (Pandelleana)
- Sarcophaga (Pandelleisca)
- Sarcophaga (Paraethiopisca)
- Sarcophaga (Parasarcophaga)
- Sarcophaga (Petuniophalla)
- Sarcophaga (Phalacrodiscus)
- Sarcophaga (Phallantha)
- Sarcophaga (Phallanthisca)
- Sarcophaga (Phallocheira)
- Sarcophaga (Phallonychia)
- Sarcophaga (Phallosphaera)
- Sarcophaga (Phytosarcophaga)
- Sarcophaga (Poecilometopa)
- Sarcophaga (Poeciphaoides)
- Sarcophaga (Prionophalla)
- Sarcophaga (Pseudaethiopisca)
- Sarcophaga (Pseudothyrsocnema)
- Sarcophaga (Pterolobomyia)
- Sarcophaga (Pterophalla)
- Sarcophaga (Pterosarcophaga)
- Sarcophaga (Robineauella)
- Sarcophaga (Rohdendorfisca)
- Sarcophaga (Rosellea)
- Sarcophaga (Sabiella)
- Sarcophaga (Sarcophaga)
- Sarcophaga (Sarcorohdendorfia)
- Sarcophaga (Sarcosolomonia)
- Sarcophaga (Sarcotachinella)
- Sarcophaga (Scotathyrsia)
- Sarcophaga (Seniorwhithea)
- Sarcophaga (Sinonipponia)
- Sarcophaga (Sisyhelicobia)
- Sarcophaga (Stackelbergeola)
- Sarcophaga (Takanoa)
- Sarcophaga (Takaraia)
- Sarcophaga (Taylorimyia)
- Sarcophaga (Thyrsocnema)
- Sarcophaga (Tolucamyia)
- Sarcophaga (Torgopampa)
- Sarcophaga (Transvaalomyia)
- Sarcophaga (Tuberomembrana)
- Sarcophaga (Uroxanthisca)
- Sarcophaga (Varirosellea)
- Sarcophaga (Wohlfahrtiopsis)
- Sarcophaga (Xanthopterisca)
- Sarcophaga (Ziminisca)
- Sarcophaga (Zombanella)
- Sarcophaga (Zumptiopsis)
- Sarcophaga (Zumptisca)