Bug FAQBanded Blowfly
Chrysomya albiceps · Order: Diptera · Family: Calliphoridae
The banded blowfly is 6 to 9 mm long and has a metallic blue-green thorax and abdomen with clear wings. It lives in subtropical to temperate areas, usually between 200 and 3,100 m elevation. Adults feed on decaying matter, excreta and flowers, and the species is medically important because it can cause myiasis.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure about 6 to 9 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
It is of medical and sanitary importance because it can cause myiasis in humans and animals.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in subtropical to temperate zones, typically from 200 m up to 3,100 m above sea level.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults feed on decaying matter, excreta and flower nectar.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
At 20 to 30 °C the development from egg to adult takes about 66 days.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its original range includes Africa, southern Europe and Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Other myiasis-causing flies in the same genus are Chrysomya bezziana and Chrysomya putoria.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What does the banded blowfly look like?
It has a metallic blue-green body and clear wings, and measures about 6 to 9 mm long.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this fly found?
It lives in subtropical to temperate areas, usually between 200 and 3,100 m elevation.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a health concern?
Yes, it can cause myiasis, a medical condition where larvae infest living tissue.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Calliphoridae)
Common European Greenbottle FlyLucilia sericataNuisance, not dangerous
Blue BlowflyCalliphora vicinaCan spread germs or disease
Black Blow FlyPhormia reginaNuisance, not dangerous
Oriental Latrine FlyChrysomya megacephalaCan spread germs or disease
Australian Sheep Blow FlyLucilia cuprinaNuisance, not dangerous
Locust BlowflyStomorhina lunataSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysomya_albiceps
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.