Houseflies and blowflies

Abstract

Their habit of breeding in putrefying matter has led many of the higher flies into an interesting and sometimes important association with various animals (wild and domesticated) and with man. Although some maggots feed on living plants, it is possible that the original breeding material of the group was decaying vegetation, which is still the normal source of many fruit flies, seaweed flies and many others. Then some forms found that vegetable debris enriched with protein from excreta of higher animals, provided a better breeding material. Such is the normal site of larvae of the stable fly. From this, animal dung became the preferred breeding medium of many species, including the housefly; but the facility of sometimes using decaying vegetable matter was still retained. Other species like the lesser housefly, became more restricted to faecal matter.