Family CALLIPHORIDAE

 

 




Calliphoridae, commonly called blow flies, blue bottles, or green bottles, consist of fairly large, robust, often metallic-colored calypterate flies found worldwide. Adults of living forms have been reported from flowers, decaying plant and animal matter, and vegetation. Some species are synanthropic and can be pestiferous in urban areas. Larvae are varied in their feeding habits with some omnivorous, carnivorous, or parasitic. They can be scavengers and feed on carrion, excrement, or garbage waste, or parasitic or predaceous on various invertebrates.



 

In addition to the determined taxa listed here, Beier (1955: 747) recorded larvae of this family from fossilized remains in a grave dated as 2,700 years old [not Triassic as stated in the Zoological Record!], Weigelt (1935) recorded what are most likely larvae of Calliphoridae (see Gautier & Schumann, 1973: 119) from Eocene deposits in the Gieseltal near Leipzig, Germany, and Kitching (1980: 63) recorded exuviae from the Pliocene/Pleistocene Limeworks Formation of South Africa.



 

 

Genus COCHLIOMYIA Townsend

 

*COCHLIOMYIA Townsend, 1915: 646. Type species: Musca macellaria Fabricius, 1775, by original designation.


PROTOCHRYSOMYIA Pierce, 1945: 8. Type species: Protochrysomyia howardae Pierce, 1945, by monotypy.


*macellaria Fabricius, 1775: 776 (Musca). NT: West Indies; NE: USA (Pleistocene) [B].


howardae Pierce, 1945: 8 (Protochrysomyia). NE: USA (Pleistocene) [B].



 

 

Genus CRETAFORMIA McAlpine

 

CRETAFORMIA McAlpine, 1970: 345. Type species: Cretaformia fowleri McAlpine, 1970, by original designation.


fowleri McAlpine, 1970: 345. NE: Canada (Upper Cretaceous) [C].



 

 

Genus PROTOPHORMIA Townsend

 

*PROTOPHORMIA Townsend, 1908: 123. Type species: Phormia terraenovae Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, by monotypy.


*terraenovae Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830: 467 (Phormia). NE: Canada; Holarctic; PA: Belgium (Pleistocene) [C].