Taxonomy

Family: Calliphoridae

Subfamily: Calliphorinae

Genus: Calliphora Robineau-Desvoidy 1830

Subgenus: Paracalliphora Townsend 1916

Species: hilli hilli Patton 1925

The third-instar larva was described by Wallman (2001).

Biology

Calliphora hilli hilli has been reared from human corpses, mammalian carrion, dead crayfish and dead moths (See Dear (1985)). It has also been observed as a myiasis fly on sheep, but it probably plays a lesser role in sheep strike than other calliphorids. Lee (1968) reported a possible record of it being involved in human myiasis. The species occurs year round in Victoria (Archer 2002).

Calliphora hilli hilli can be separated from the closely related Calliphora fallax by yellow hairs on the medial dorsal surface of tergite 5. Male C. hilli hilli can be readily distinguished by the minimum frons width being greater than twice the width of the anterior ocellus, whereas in male C. fallax the minimum frons width is less than twice the width of the anterior ocellus (see picture). To determine the gender of your fly click here.

Distribution

Calliphora hilli hilli is relatively common in south-eastern Australia, being recorded from the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. It has also been introduced into New Zealand (Dear 1985).

Relevant Literature

Archer, M.S. (2002) The ecology of invertebrate associations with vertebrate carrion in Victoria, with reference to forensic entomology. PhD, University of Melbourne.

Dear, J.P. (1985) Calliphoridae (Insecta, Diptera). Fauna of New Zealand 8, 86.

Lee, D.J. (1968) Human myiasis in Australia. The Medical Journal of Australia, 170-172.

Wallman, J.F. (2001) Third-instar larvae of common carrion-breeding blowflies of the genus Calliphora (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in South Australia. Invertebrate Taxonomy 15, 37-51.