Skip to main content
402 Featured Specimen
Common housefly

Details

Common housefly

Musca domestica

Size
0.5–0.8 cm · 0–0 g
Diet
Omnivore
Activity
Diurnal
Sociality
Loose group
Lifespan
less than 1 year

The common housefly is a cosmopolitan fly closely tied to people and livestock. It flies by day and laps liquid organic food.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
PalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropicalIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasian

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

It occurs in cities, farms, and grasslands across the Palearctic, the Nearctic, the Afrotropics, the Indomalayan region, the Neotropics, Australasia. Human and livestock environments provide abundant food and breeding sites.

Appearance

Length 0.5-0.8 cm; weight 0.008 g-0.02 g. The gray thorax has dark lengthwise stripes, and a single pair of clear wings powers flight. The mouthparts lap liquids rather than pierce.

Behavior

Diurnal and loosely aggregated, it gathers around food and breeding sites. It alternates short flights with landings and responds strongly to odors.

Feeding

An omnivore, it uses decaying organic matter, food, feces, and sugary liquids. Saliva helps liquefy solid food before it is lapped up.

Reproduction

Females lay eggs in manure or other decaying material that will feed larvae. Maggots grow there, pupate, and emerge as adults.

Notes

It is listed as Least Concern, though local populations can still be affected by habitat change, collection, or pollution.