Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Blow-fly
- Calliphorinae
- Chrysomyiinae
The Blow-flies are members of the family Calliphoridae of flies (Diptera). Flies in this family are often metallic in appearance.
Some members of this family are known as bluebottles, cluster-flies or greenbottles. The name blow-fly comes from the fact that recently deceased corpses would swell up from bacterial deomposition in the intestinal tract causing the infested to become bloated, or "fly-blown". Blow flies are usually the first insect to come in contact with a dead animal.
The family is divided into two subfamilies, the Calliphorinae and the Chrysomyiinae , which between them contain about 23 genera.
Adult blow-flies are occasional pollinators, being attracted to flowers with a strong odor resembling rotting meat, such as the American pawpaw.
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