Common Green Bottle Fly

The common green bottle fly is a blowfly found in most areas of the world and is the most well-known of the numerous green bottle fly species. Its body is 10–14 mm (0.39–0.55 in) in length – slightly larger than a house fly – and has brilliant, metallic, blue-green or golden coloration with black markings. It has short, sparse, black bristles (setae) and three cross-grooves on the thorax. The wings are clear with light brown veins, and the legs and antennae are black. The larvae of the fly may be used for maggot therapy, are commonly used in forensic entomology, and can be the cause of myiasis in livestock and pets. The common green bottle fly emerges in the spring for mating. Scientific Name: Lucilia sericata Range: Worldwide — originally Old World Size: 10–14 mm Status: Common ID Notes: Brilliant metallic green-blue body. Black bristles. Bright red eyes. Behavior / Notes: Sterile larvae used in maggot debridement therapy to clean infected wounds. Forensic entomology uses arrival time at corpses to estimate time of death.