165. Green Bottle Fly

The unsung pollinators; it seems that bees get all the airplay, but as you can see by the pollen grains that flies are also effective pollinators. The Common Green Bottle Fly ( Lucilia sericata) is found in most areas of the world and is common locally.  The colour ranges from a coppery colour to metallic green.

How could this beautiful shiny insect be the source of maggots? Just the sound of that word causes revulsion in many, yet they are used in the treatment of wounds. The maggots are placed on the wound where they feed on the necrotic tissues and bacteria in the infected wound. They also produce antimicrobial enzymes that will aid in cleaning up the infected wound. Starting with a clean source of maggots is apparently important! 

The life cycle and speed of development of the Green Bottle Fly has been intensely studied because of their use in forensics. This fly is usually the first to reach a body and start laying eggs. The stage that the larvae are at when the body is found can reveal a lot about the time of death. It is especially useful if there are details on the temperatures that the corpse was exposed to. Forensic entomology has been used as evidence in many murder trials and makes for fascinating research.