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Green Bottle Fly?


Green Bottle Fly?
Photo Information
Copyright: Ram Thakur (ramthakur) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2975 W: 108 N: 7726] (25028)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-05-14
Categories: Insects
Camera: Sony DSC-P200
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/125 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-05-17 5:59
Viewed: 612
Points: 28
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
GREEN BOTTLE FLY?

I shot this green fly in our little garden recently.
Investigation leads me to believe this could be a normal Green Bottle Fly and not Protocalliphora azurea, the pictures of which I have already posted here from time to time. You can look at one of them here.

Still, there are points of difference from a normal Green Bottle fly that bother me. For one thing, it does not have bristly black hair on its thorax. The abdomen has a touch of gold with horizontal green lines across it. Moreover, bottle flies are much bigger whereas this one is exactly the size of a house fly.
Anyway, here is a note on Green Bottle Fly borrowed from Wikipedia:

The Green Bottle Fly (Phaenicia sericata) is a common blow-fly found in most areas of the world. It is 10-14 mm long, slightly larger than a housefly, and has brilliant, metallic, blue-green or golden colouration with black markings. It has black bristle-like hair 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 fly is also used for Maggot Therapy.

Life Cycle

A mass of up to 180 eggs are laid in wounds, carcasses, or necrotic tissue. Pale yellow or grayish-white larvae 10-14 mm long hatch in half a day to three days, and begin feeding on the decomposing animal matter they were hatched in. They are fully grown in two to ten days, when they will seek soil in which they will burrow to pupate. The adults emerge to mate, beginning the cycle again. During cold weather, pupae and adults can hibernate until warmer temperatures revive them. They are also found in America but they are harmless, just like houseflies.
They are pollinators of some flowers with a strong odor such as pawpaws and goldenrod.

As Ivan suggests, this could most probably be a Lucilia caesar which has been described as follows at http://www.uknature.co.uk/GBottle-info.html:

Description: 8-15mm, with a metallic green body and silvery jowls below the hairless red eyes.
Food and Habits: Adults feed on nectar and carrion juices. They fly at all times of the year, including mid-winter, when they can be seen basking on sunny walls. The maggots feed on carrion, including scraps of meat and fish consigned to the dustbin.
Habitat and Range: Found in a wide range of habitats, and common around houses, yet rarely venturing indoors. Common throughout the UK.


I used my P200 this time for a change. It is a hand-held shot. Original image cropped and reduced for TN. Used Gaussian blur on the BG for the fun of it.

Thanks and regards to all.
hansh, eqshannon, fartash, Jamesp, dew77, magal, scottevers7 has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • hansh Gold Star Critiquer [C: 184 W: 1 N: 393] (2011)
  • [2007-05-17 6:17]

Hello Ram.
Nice shot of this fly with nice colors. Perhaps framing a little to heavy but that's personal.
Well done.
Gr. Hans

Hello Sir,
Very colourful fly. I have seen this kind of fly here, but I am sorry I can not give you the ID.It 's a very colourful composition.And good details too.
TFS, Smitha.

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1714 W: 24 N: 4988] (16346)
  • [2007-05-17 10:11]

Hi Ram,
Another of your great flies. They seem to be hovering around you and posing for you. Gorgeous red eyes and bottle green body. The sheen on its wings seem so special. Excellent POV to study its anatomy and a lovely smooth green BG. Very nicely composed and 'framed'. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

I will watch this space closely for another big and interesting debate about its ID.

Hello Ram
Excellent shot of this fly,
Great sharpness and BG,
Fantastic colors and POV,
Welldone.

Good Luck
Fartash

It is so nice this entity was near the edge of the leaf. It give me a feeling of more than one subject or perhaps a major subject and a minor as well eh?

On second glance I noticed red eyes. Lovely. the wings are "unreal". Can you see this closely with your eyes as well as your lens? Surely you must.

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2606 W: 133 N: 7480] (23317)
  • [2007-05-17 10:24]

Hello Ram,
This is definitely a species of Green Bottle. this shot is sharp and shows enough detail to be able to identify it. Nice composition on the leafy BG.
My research suggests Lucilia caesar, an outdoor species that prefers sunshine and to lay its eggs on meat out in the open.
I haven't used the net to follow this up, though.
TFs and best wishes, Ivan

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1252 W: 0 N: 4842] (14380)
  • [2007-05-17 10:28]

Hi Ram

Another great insect from you. Very good composition and colours, well isolated from the background.

TFS

James

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5171 W: 297 N: 4050] (13069)
  • [2007-05-17 10:41]

Hello Ram,
Very nice close up.Colors,clearity,details and framing are excellent.Sorry for the ID but i think green bottle fly is correct.Have a great day!
TFS..:-)

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1785 W: 8 N: 4627] (14955)
  • [2007-05-17 10:53]

Hi Ram,

Such a colorful fly! The colors and details are wonderful. Looks like he is posing for you on that leaf. I like the bg.

Jane

  • Great 
  • ridvan Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 556 W: 0 N: 1138] (5140)
  • [2007-05-17 15:09]

selam ram, very nice macro shot of this fly,good presented , very nice BG and POV, well captured with nice colours TFS
regards
ridvan

  • Great 
  • magal Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 227 W: 0 N: 314] (1241)
  • [2007-05-17 15:25]

Hi Ram,
Green Bottle Flies in Malta vary in size [as you indicated in your note]. In a local publication it is listed as Lucilia Sericata, but from research on the web, Lucilia Caesar seems to be the right name. The latter manifests hairs on the back of the thorax.
As regards your shot, the compo is excellent and I believe you did well to blur out the BG. Colours are very natural but sharpness, I think could be a lot better. I like the idea of a 'heavy' frame to offset the size of the shot.
TFS
Mark

Hi Ram,
A very nice shot on this Green Bottle Fly. Nice sharp detail and good accurate color saturation. Well composed and framed. Nice shot!
Scott

  • Great 
  • demeve Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 514 W: 8 N: 1099] (4072)
  • [2007-05-17 22:25]

Hi Ram, very good shot of this beautiful fly, wonderful macro work you did a great job, fantastic collors and composition.. well done..

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 921 W: 4 N: 2302] (10736)
  • [2007-05-18 10:27]

Sir nice shot and good frame.
ganesh

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