Discover Top Posts Tagged with #greenbottle fly

September 29, 2023

September 5, 2023

Greenbottle Fly - Lucilia sericata

Within today's insect showcase of a relatively common find during Toronto's spring and summer months, there are three immediate observations of note. Firstly, the individuals found here are all female as can be discerned by the distance seen between their compound eyes. Recall that the bright-red eyes of typically male Blowflies tend to nearly touch each other along the head. Secondly, and on the subject of coloration, this insect has shirked its conventional bright green for a more metallic orange/red coloration resembling a beautiful bronze. That is, except for the individual in Picture 2 who is bright green and shares these tiny flowers alongside the other photographed individual and the many other neighborhood pollinators. Thirdly, we find this insect probing among these flowers to obtain energy in the form of sugary nectar. As mentioned in an earlier post, there's nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to this type of Fly visiting flowers. Granted, these iridescent Flies are often associated with filth, rot, and smelly finds on the sidewalk. They nevertheless partake in nectar-drinking during the warmer months of the year when flowers become abundant, and also later on when fruits become ripe and leak out sugary juices. As fruits age as well, the Flies are likely to return for the juices of fallen and rotting fruit, and there's a part of me that wonders how much ethanol they take in a result, resulting in impaired flight and coordination.

While not a typical find compared to other pollinators, Greenbottle Flies can become tantalized by floral aromas, leading them to become frequent flower visitors. Their presence and travel between flowers aids in their pollination as the Flies carry pollen particles from where they land to near the entrance of flowers. Although they could be perceived as somewhat unconventional, and even unsuitable compared to other insects, it may be surprising to learn that Greenbottle Flies have been reported as good pollinators for the flowers of plants within the cabbage family, as well as the globed, cluster-like flowers of onions. For the latter blooms, it may have something to do with the pungency of their sulfuric aroma. It certainly takes all kinds of animals, insects very much included, in order to create and maintain a strong ecosystem. On the subject of that, while researching notable information regarding Greenbottle Flies, I stumbled across a look-a-like species of interest adventive to North America: Neomyia cornicina. Although this other Fly is a near match for a Greenbottle, it has a few differences to acknowledge. Compared to a Greenbottle Fly, N. cornicina has less dense bristles running along its back and the same iridescent green that dots the rest of its body is on the head too. While it sounds mundane, consider this: N. cornicina isn't a Blow Fly (the family Calliphoridae), but rather a metallic green House Fly (of the family Muscidae).

Pictures were taken on June 8, 2022 with a Google Pixel 4. How fitting, a green insect on a lovely green day. Happy St. Patrick's Day to all! Hopefully the weather too will maintain to a lush green over many warm days soon, rather than the current chill holding Toronto at time of typing.