House Fly

The housefly is a fly of the suborder Cyclorrhapha. It possibly originated in the Middle East, and spread around the world as a commensal of humans. Adults are gray to black, with four dark, longitudinal lines on the thorax, slightly hairy bodies, and a single pair of membranous wings. They have red compound eyes, set farther apart in the slightly larger female. Scientific Name: Musca domestica Range: Worldwide — follows human habitation Size: 6–7 mm Status: Common ID Notes: Gray thorax with 4 dark longitudinal stripes. Buff abdomen with darker markings. Red eyes. Sponging mouthparts. Behavior / Notes: Mechanical vector of many pathogens. Tastes with feet (200x more sensitive than human tongue). Cannot bite — the biting flies in houses are stable flies.