Cheese fly

Cheese fly
Piophila casei
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Piophilidae
Subfamily: Piophilinae
Tribe: Piophilini
Genus: Piophila
Species: P. casei
Binomial name
Piophila casei

The cheese fly (Piophila casei) is a species of fly known for infesting human foodstuffs. The larvae of this fly are known as cheese skippers due to their ability to launch themselves several inches into the air when alarmed. When consumed, the larvae can survive in the intestine, causing enteric myiasis.[1]

Description

Mesonotum finely chagrined, not pubescent and with three lines of longitudinal chaetules."Soies ocellaires écartées l'une de l'autre"[post-vertical orbital bristles present and divergent]. Abdomen elliptical. Anterior margin of inter ocular space, reddish or orange. Face reddish. Cheeks wide. [2]

Cheese fly larvae are used to produce casu marzu, a traditional Sardinian cheese.

References

  1. Peckenscneider, L.E., Polorny, C. and Hellwig , C.A. , 1952 Intestinal infestation with maggots of the cheese fly (Piophila casei). J Am Med Assoc. 1952 May 17;149 (3):262-3.
  2. Séguy, E. (1934) Diptères: Brachycères. II. Muscidae acalypterae, Scatophagidae. Paris: Éditions Faune de France 28 Bibliotheque Virtuelle Numerique pdf
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