Species Insects & ArthropodsGreen Bottle Fly

Green Bottle Fly

Lucilia sericata

CommonInsect & Arthropod
Illustration of Green Bottle Fly (Lucilia sericata)

The Green Bottle Fly is a brilliantly metallic green blow fly familiar around outdoor food and garbage. Its maggots are used in medical maggot therapy — applied to non-healing wounds to debride dead tissue and fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria. It is a widespread species with rapid generations, making it abundant in warm weather.

Habitat
Urban areas, farms, and outdoor environments worldwide
Diet
Larvae: carrion and necrotic tissue. Adults: nectar and decomposing matter
How common
Common

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