Pest Gallery

Flies: Muscidae

Musca domenstica Linnaeus, the common house fly, is a pest all over the world. The adult has the fourth wing vein sharply angled and four length-wise dark stripes on the top of the thorax. Its face has two velvety stripes which are silver above and gold below. Each adult female begins laying eggs a few days after hatching, laying a total of five to six batches, of 75-100 small, white, oval eggs. It warm weather these hatch in 12-24 hours.

Although they are attracted to a wide variety of food materials, house flies have mouthparts which enable them to ingest only liquid materials. Solid food materials are liquefied by means of regurgitated saliva.

During daylight hours house flies will rest on floors, walls, and ceilings indoors. Outdoors they will rest on plants, fences, electrical wires, edges or buildings and garbage cans.