Common Green Bottle Fly

DIPTERA
Order Diptera encompasses about 20,000 species across North America (not including Mexico). These mostly daytime flyers are a common sight during the long summer days across Tennessee on land and near bodies of water. Flies belong to this order and feature sucking mouthparts as well as a second set of full wings - the latter making them excellent flyers. The dreaded mosquito also belongs to the order and females of the species sport blood-sucking mouthparts. Beyond these two, Crane Flies, Gnats, and Bee Flies also belong to the group.

Common Name: "Common Green Bottle Fly"
Other Names: "Sheep Blow Fly"
Scientific Name: Lucilia sericata

TAXONOMIC BREAKDOWN:
The Taxonomic Breakdown is the scientific way to categorize a partocular insect species from its largest group (Animalia) to its smallest (variable). The Genus and Species categorizations taken together make up the species' scientific name shown above, in this case Lucilia sericata.

Kingdom: Animalia

 Phylum: Arthropoda

  Class: Insecta

   Order: Diptera

    Family: Clliphoridae

     Genus: Lucilia

      Species: sericata

The Common Green Bottle Fly is also known by these other names:

Sheep Blow Fly

The Common Green Bottle Fly has been identified by site users by the following descriptors:

small    flying    winged    outdoors    indoors    six-legged    daytime    summer    shiny    red    maroon    green    lime    black    yellow    transparent    eyes    abdomen    hairy    fuzzy

The general likelihood of encountering this insect based on a given month of the year in the state of Tennessee. Generally, the best sighting months are June through August with peak occurring in July.

Below is a representation of the 'smallest-small' and 'largest-large' sizes commonly associated with the Common Green Bottle Fly. Due to monitor differences, sizes may not be exact on your particular screen. Conversions to millimeters are provided for convenience.

Below you will find the colors most commonly associated with the Common Green Bottle Fly. Both Primary and Secondary colors are represented in the showcase. Due to monitor differences, colors may not be exact representations.

The Common Green Bottle Fly can be found in the following Tennessee counties:

Anderson; Bedford; Benton; Bledsoe; Blount; Bradley; Campbell; Cannon; Carroll; Carter; Cheatham; Chester; Claiborne; Clay; Cocke; Coffee; Crockett; Cumberland; Davidson; De Kalb; Decatur; Dickson; Dyer; Fayette; Fentress; Franklin; Gibson; Giles; Grainger; Greene; Grundy; Hamblen; Hamilton; Hancock; Hardeman; Hardin; Hawkins; Haywood; Henderson; Henry; Hickman; Houston; Humphreys; Jackson; Jefferson; Johnson; Knox; Lake; Lauderdale; Lawrence; Lewis; Lincoln; Loudon; Macon; Madison; Marion; Marshall; Maury; McMinn; McNairy; Meigs; Monroe; Montgomery; Moore; Morgan; Obion; Overton; Perry; Pickett; Polk; Putnam; Rhea; Roane; Robertson; Rutherford; Scott; Sequatchie; Sevier; Shelby; Smith; Stewart; Sullivan; Sumner; Tipton; Trousdale; Unicoi; Union; Van Buren; Warren; Washington; Wayne; Weakley; White; Williamson; Wilson.