golden dung fly

(Scathophaga stercoraria)

Conservation Status
golden dung fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)
Photo by Alfredo Colon
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

Golden dung fly occurs in Europe, Africa, Japan, and North America. It is very common throughout the United States and in southern Canada. In some areas it is one of the most abundant species of fly. It is found wherever large mammals occur, especially in cattle farming areas.

Adults are slender, ¼ to long, and similar to house flies in appearance. Males are larger and golden-brown, females are smaller and greenish. Both sexes are hairy, but the male is much hairier.

There are bristles on the face and on the top of the head. There are two large compound eyes at the side of the head and three small simple eyes (ocelli) in a triangle at the top of the head. The compound eyes are orangish-brown and hairless. They do not meet at the top of the head in either sex. There is a V-shaped groove (suture) on the face just above the antennae bases. The antennae have three segments. The second segment has a longitudinal groove (suture) on top. The third segment has a short, forward-pointed bristle (arista) on the upper side.

The thorax is heavily bristled. The plate (hypopleuron) on the thorax just above the basal segment of hind leg (coxa) has no bristles. The plate between the throax and the abdomen (scutellum) has four bristles.

The abdomen is slender and densely covered with hairs.

As with all flies, there is only one pair of wings, the hind wings being reduced to small, knob-like structures (halteres) that are used for balance in flight. The wings are smoky brown and clear, with no dark spots. At the base of each wing there are two small, rounded lobes (calypters) that cover the halteres. The calypters are well-developed. The first posterior cell (R5) is has parallel sides. The second anal vein (2A) reaches the inner margin.

The legs are long and slender. The third segment (femur) of each leg on the male is densely covered below with long, brightly colored hairs. On the female, the femora have fewer hairs, and those are not brightly colored.

 
     
 

Size

 
 

Total length: ¼ to

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat
 
 

 

 
     
 
Biology
 
 

Season

 
 

Two to four generations per year: March to November

 
     
 

Behavior

 
 

 

 
     
 

Life Cycle

 
 

Eggs are laid on raised areas of the dung of large mammals, especially cattle. The eggs hatch in one or two days. The larvae burrow into the soil and pupate after 10 to 20 days. Juvenile flies emerge in 10 to 80 days, depending on the temperature. Adults live one or two months. There are two to four overlapping generations per year.

 
     
 

Larva Food

 
 

Dung of large mammals

 
     
 

Adult Food

 
 

Mostly other fly species, occasionally other insects, including other golden dung flies when other food is scarce

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

24, 29, 30.

 
  2/5/2019      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Very common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
 

Order

Diptera (flies)  
 

Suborder

Brachycera  
 

Infraorder

Cyclorrhapha  
  Zoosection Schizophora  
  Zoosubsection Calyptratae  
 

Superfamily

Muscoidea  
 

Family

Scathophagidae (dung flies)  
 

Subfamily

Scathophaginae  
 

Genus

Scathophaga  
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Musca merdaria

Musca stercoraria

Scatophaga stercoraria

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

golden dung fly

yellow dung fly

 
       

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Arista

A large bristle on the upper side of the third segment of the antenna of a fly.

 

Calypter

On flies: one of two small membranous lobes at the base of the forewing that covers the haltere.

 

Femur

On insects and arachnids, the third, largest, most robust segment of the leg, coming immediately before the tibia. On humans, the thigh bone.

 

Halteres

In flies: a pair of knob-like structures on the thorax representing hind wings that are used for balance.

 

Ocellus

Simple eye; an eye with a single lens. Plural: ocelli.

 

Scutellum

The exoskeletal plate covering the rearward (posterior) part of the middle segment of the thorax in some insects. In Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Homoptera, the dorsal, often triangular plate behind the pronotum and between the bases of the front wings. In Diptera, the exoskeletal plate between the abdomen and the thorax.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
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Alfredo Colon

 
    golden dung fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

 

 
           
           

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
Scathophaga stercoraria
Lloyd Davies
  Scathophaga stercoraria  
 
About

Scathophaga stercoraria Yellow Dung fly

 
     

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
  Furry Yellow Dung-Flies (Scathophaga stercoraria)
Nephthys Uk
 
   
 
About

Published on Apr 26, 2013

There was some composting waste stuck in the bottom of the 'Green' recycling bin. After it was emptied out (be grateful youtube doesn't let you smell!) these flies appeared. The males are the furry yellow, the females look more like normal flies.

They are known as the yellow or golden dung-fly (Scathophaga stercoraria).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scathophaga_stercoraria

*****Music Copyright Information for YouTube*****

Music: Jackpot
By: Jetwelder
Album: Golden

http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/42796...

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

 
  Golden Dung Fly (Scathophagidae: Scathophaga stercoraria?) Feeding
Carl Barrentine
 
   
 
About

Published on Jul 2, 2011

Photographed at the Rydell NWR, Minnesota (29 June 2011).

 
  strontvliegen (Scathophaga stercoraria)
Ron
 
   
 
About

Published on Jul 24, 2014

Stront of drekvliegen

 
  Gelbe Dungfliege (Scathophaga stercoraria)
Lothar Lenz
 
   
 
About

Published on Apr 30, 2015

Zur Paarung treffen sich die Gelben Dungfliegen auf noch warmen Dung (z.B. Pferdeäpfeln oder Kuhfladen) und legen darin ihre Eier ab.

 
       

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

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  Alfredo Colon
7/21/2018

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

golden dung fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

 

 

 

 

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Created: 2/5/2019

Last Updated:

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