Cheese fly
Encyclopedia
Cheese flies are members of the family
Piophilidae of flies
. Most are scavengers in animal products and fungi. The best-known member of the family is Piophila casei. It is a small fly, about four mm (1/6 inch) long, found worldwide. The fly's larva
infests cured meats, smoked fish, cheeses, and decaying animals. The larva is about 8 mm (⅓ inch) long and is sometimes called the cheese skipper for its leaping ability - when disturbed, this tiny maggot can hop up to 15 cm (six inches) into the air. Adults are also known as "bacon flies" and their larvae as "bacon skippers", "ham skippers", "cheese maggots", and "cheese hoppers". In Sardinia
, Italy
the larvae are intentionally introduced into pecorino
cheese
to produce casu marzu
.
If eaten (accidentally or otherwise), the larvae can pass through the digestive system alive (human stomach acids do not usually kill them) and live for some time in the intestine
s. This is referred to as an enteric
myiasis
. Cheese fly larvae are a leading cause of myiasis in human
s, and are the insect most frequently found in the human intestine. The larvae can cause serious intestinal lesions as they attempt to bore through the intestinal walls. Symptoms include nausea
, vomiting
, pain in the abdomen, and bloody diarrhea
. Living and dead larvae may pass in the stool
.
Forensic entomology
uses the presence of Piophila casei larvae to help estimate the date of death for human remains. They do not take up residence in a corpse until three to six months after death.
The adult fly's body is black, blue-black, or bronze, with some yellow on the head, antennae, and legs. The wings are faintly iridescent
and lie flat upon the fly's abdomen
when at rest. At four mm (1/6 inch) long, the fly is one-third to one-half as long as the common housefly
. Liopiopila is a typical genus
. http://www.diptera.info/forum/viewthread.php?forum_id=5&thread_id=1701#post_6924
The larvae accomplish their jumps by bending over, grabbing onto the rears of their own bodies with their mouth hooks, tensing their muscles, and quickly releasing the grip. Spring action
propels them into the air. A series of photos illustrating this remarkable behaviour in larvae of the tiny piophilid Protopiophila litigata, commonly known as the "antler fly" (it breeds exclusively on discarded antlers of cervids such as moose and deer), can be seen at http://www.bonduriansky.net/antlerflies.htm. Prochyliza xanthostoma breeds on rotting carcasses and is highly sexually dimorphic, with males having greatly elongated heads, antennae and legs, relative to females. P. xanthostoma also has spectacular mating and fighting behaviours.http://www.bonduriansky.net/waltzingflies.htm
in distribution. The nomenclature is currently volatile, with two family names (Neottiophilinae and Thyreophorinae) recently in use becoming subsumed in the
Piophilinae.
Recent works containing descriptive key sequences useful for accurate insect identification are:
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Piophilidae of flies
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
. Most are scavengers in animal products and fungi. The best-known member of the family is Piophila casei. It is a small fly, about four mm (1/6 inch) long, found worldwide. The fly's larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
infests cured meats, smoked fish, cheeses, and decaying animals. The larva is about 8 mm (⅓ inch) long and is sometimes called the cheese skipper for its leaping ability - when disturbed, this tiny maggot can hop up to 15 cm (six inches) into the air. Adults are also known as "bacon flies" and their larvae as "bacon skippers", "ham skippers", "cheese maggots", and "cheese hoppers". In Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
the larvae are intentionally introduced into pecorino
Pecorino
Pecorino is the name of a family of hard Italian cheeses made from ewe's milk. The word derives from pecora meaning ‘sheep’, also from the Latin pecora meaning livestock....
cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
to produce casu marzu
Casu marzu
Casu marzu is a traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese, notable for containing live insect larvae...
.
If eaten (accidentally or otherwise), the larvae can pass through the digestive system alive (human stomach acids do not usually kill them) and live for some time in the intestine
Intestine
In human anatomy, the intestine is the segment of the alimentary canal extending from the pyloric sphincter of the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine...
s. This is referred to as an enteric
Enteric
Enteric can refer to:* A general term describing something related to or associated with the intestines** Microorganisms that inhabit the intestines are commonly known as enteric bacteria* Enteric nervous system...
myiasis
Myiasis
Myiasis is a general term for infection by parasitic fly larvae feeding on the host's necrotic or living tissue. Colloquialisms for myiasis include flystrike, blowfly strike, and fly-blown. In Greek, "myia" means fly....
. Cheese fly larvae are a leading cause of myiasis in human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s, and are the insect most frequently found in the human intestine. The larvae can cause serious intestinal lesions as they attempt to bore through the intestinal walls. Symptoms include nausea
Nausea
Nausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an involuntary urge to vomit. It often, but not always, precedes vomiting...
, vomiting
Vomiting
Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose...
, pain in the abdomen, and bloody diarrhea
Diarrhea
Diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
. Living and dead larvae may pass in the stool
Feces
Feces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
.
Forensic entomology
Forensic entomology
Forensic entomology is the application and study of insect and other arthropod biology to criminal matters. It is primarily associated with death investigations; however, it may also be used to detect drugs and poisons, determine the location of an incident, and find the presence and time of the...
uses the presence of Piophila casei larvae to help estimate the date of death for human remains. They do not take up residence in a corpse until three to six months after death.
The adult fly's body is black, blue-black, or bronze, with some yellow on the head, antennae, and legs. The wings are faintly iridescent
Iridescence
Iridescence is generally known as the property of certain surfaces which appear to change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes...
and lie flat upon the fly's abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
when at rest. At four mm (1/6 inch) long, the fly is one-third to one-half as long as the common housefly
Housefly
The housefly , Musca domestica, is a fly of the suborder Cyclorrhapha...
. Liopiopila is a typical genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
. http://www.diptera.info/forum/viewthread.php?forum_id=5&thread_id=1701#post_6924
The larvae accomplish their jumps by bending over, grabbing onto the rears of their own bodies with their mouth hooks, tensing their muscles, and quickly releasing the grip. Spring action
Spring (device)
A spring is an elastic object used to store mechanical energy. Springs are usually made out of spring steel. Small springs can be wound from pre-hardened stock, while larger ones are made from annealed steel and hardened after fabrication...
propels them into the air. A series of photos illustrating this remarkable behaviour in larvae of the tiny piophilid Protopiophila litigata, commonly known as the "antler fly" (it breeds exclusively on discarded antlers of cervids such as moose and deer), can be seen at http://www.bonduriansky.net/antlerflies.htm. Prochyliza xanthostoma breeds on rotting carcasses and is highly sexually dimorphic, with males having greatly elongated heads, antennae and legs, relative to females. P. xanthostoma also has spectacular mating and fighting behaviours.http://www.bonduriansky.net/waltzingflies.htm
Identification
This is a small family of 67 species in 23 genera, mainly HolarcticHolarctic
The Holarctic ecozone refers to the habitats found throughout the northern continents of the world as a whole. This region is divided into the Palearctic, consisting of Northern Africa and all of Eurasia, with the exception of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and the Nearctic,...
in distribution. The nomenclature is currently volatile, with two family names (Neottiophilinae and Thyreophorinae) recently in use becoming subsumed in the
Piophilinae.
Recent works containing descriptive key sequences useful for accurate insect identification are:
- McAlpine JF. 1977. A revised classification of the Piophilidae, including 'Neottiophilidae' and 'Thyreophoridae' (Diptera: Schizophora). Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada 103: 1-66
- McAlpine JF. (ed.) 1989. Manual of Nearctic Diptera (Vol. 3). Agriculture Canada Monograph No. 32.
- Ozerov, 2000. Piophilidae. In: Papp, L. & Darvas, A. (eds). Contributions to a Manual of Palaearctic Diptera. Appendix Volume. Science Herald, Budapest.pp 355–365. ISBN 963-04-8840-X
- Shtakel'berg, A.A. Family Piophilidae in Bei-Bienko, G. Ya , 1988 Keys to the insectsof the European Part of the USSR Volume 5 (Diptera) Part 2 English edition
Genera
Species lists
Image galleries
External links
External links
- Piophila casei on the UFUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
/ IFASInstitute of Food and Agricultural SciencesThe University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhancing and sustaining the quality of human life by making that information...
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