Metalic Gold fly - Unknown Species

shergar1983 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-11-2009, 11:51 AM

Hi guys,

I am no insect expert but having recently moved to 'the sticks' have seen many new insects, but never before the below. It was about half the size of a blue-bottle, with its body completely golden. It honestly looked as though the thing had been goldplated with light reflecting off of it.

Anyone know what this is?

JRsbugs · #2 (**permalink**) 08-11-2009, 12:12 PM

Hi shergar, welcome to WAB.

It looks to me like a Lucilia sp. of which there is more than one very similar species, the Greenbottle fly.

At this time of year you will be seeing some which have a great suntan!

Janet

Jason Green · #3 (**permalink**) 08-11-2009, 12:46 PM

Hi Shergar,

Absolutely agree - Lucilia sp., the scientific name. Exact identification of most of these is difficult and requires a dead individual to be looked at under a microscope!

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRsbugs

At this time of year you will be seeing some which have a great suntan!

Yes! Indeed. The pinky-red is an aging process, caused by the way the light shines off the pigment. It appears green when they're young, but as they get older they appear to change and show increasing amounts of redness.

Take care,

Jason