Sarcophagidae

Fleshflies, family Sarcophagidae, are insects that are often mistaken for common houseflies, although they are somewhat larger in size.

Generally, fleshflies are flies whose larvae are parasitic in meat and carcasses, where they commonly breed. These larvae, commonly known as maggots, live in the meat for about 5-10 days, before descending into the soil and maturing into adulthood. At that stage, they live for 5-7 days, before (presumably) dying.

The family contains two subfamilies, the Miltogramminae and the Sarcophaginae, containing between them about 100 genera. The fleshflies are quite closely related to the family Calliphoridae, which belongs to the same (large) infraorder, the Muscomorpha, and includes species such as the blowfly that have similar habits to the fleshflies.

Referenced By