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Black Soldier Fly
Hermetia illucens
40.8471, -106.699
Field Notes
Description:
Order: Diptera
Family: Stratiomyidae
Species:
Range: This fly occurs throughout most of the Western Hemisphere and the Australian region from Samoa to Hawaii.
Food: Soldier fly larvae are scavengers and thrive on many kinds of decaying organic matter, including carrion, manure, plant refuse and the waste products of beehives. Adults commonly frequent flowers of the daisy and carrot families.
Size: 15 to 20 mm long. Primarily black, the female's abdomen is reddish at the apex and has two translucent spots on the second abdominal segment. The male's abdomen is somewhat bronze in color.
The black soldier fly, is a common and widespread fly of the family Stratiomyidae, whose larvae are common detritivores in compost heaps. Larvae are also sometimes found in association with carrion, and have significant potential for use in forensic entomology.
Habitat:
In the continental United States, it commonly breeds in outdoor toilets, poorly managed compost and in poultry manure. Larvae occur in greatest densities in moist rather than wet or dry media.
Notes:
Forensic Application: Though they may be a nuisance, soldier flies do not bite and are not known to transmit any diseases. Occasionally larvae accidentally infest the intestinal tract of man or animals.
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