Locust Blowfly

This fly gains its name because its larvae are predatory of the eggs of major African agricultural pests.

Species introduction

At a glance
Latin name: 
Stomorhina lunata
Family: 
Nose Flies
Family Latin name: 
RHINIIDAE
Category: 
Insects other

Species description

Species description

The Locust Blowfly is often mistaken for a hoverfly - because of its size and abdominal colouring. It is similar to a common housefly, but has a prominent proboscis. 

This fly gains its name because its larvae are predatory of the eggs of major African agricultural pests, especially the South African Brown Locust, the Desert Locust and the Migratory Locust. They are therefore migratory and in Britain are considered to be rare vagrants, only recently being seen in southern England. This phenomenon is assumed to be related to climate change. What the larvae of these insects feed on in England has not yet been ascertained. As yet, there are no records of this fly's larvae predating British grasshoppers or bush-crickets. 

It is seen in England between June and October.

Species photographs

Larger photograph(s) (click to magnify)

Details

Species family information

The Rhiniidae family of blow flies include some 370 species worldwide. They are small to large, robustly-built flies. They frequent vegetation, flowers, excrement or decaying matter. Larvae are often parasitic. They are usually of medical, veterinary or forensic interest because of their breeding or feeding habits.

Category information

Insects evolved in the Ordovician from a crustacean ancestral lineage as terrestrial invertebrates with six legs (the Hexapoda). This was the time when terrestrial plants first appeared. In the Devonian some insects developed wings and flight, the first animals to do so. An early flying group was the Odonata from the Carboniferous, the damselflies and dragonflies, which have densely-veined wings and long, ten-segmented bodies. They are day-flying carnivores, with an aquatic larval stage, so are commonly seen flying near water. The carnivorous larvae are called nymphs. Odonata species are short-lived, damselflies surviving for 2-4 weeks, dragonflies for up to 2 months.

Some insect groups in the Cretaceous co-evolved with the flowering plants, and they have had a close association ever since. These groups are the Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants), the Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), the Diptera (flies), and the Coleoptera (beetles). The diversity of beetles is astonishing. Of all the known animal species on the planet, one in five is a beetle!