Orange-Bearded Bluebottle Fly

Orange-Bearded Bluebottle Fly

Calliphora vomitoria

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at London

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

6 Verified sightings at London
April Best month

About the Orange-Bearded Bluebottle Fly

Calliphora vomitoria, known as the bluebottle fly, orange-bearded bluebottle, or bottlebee, is a species of blowfly, a species in the family Calliphoridae. Calliphora vomitoria is the type species of the genus Calliphora. It is common throughout many continents including Europe, Americas, and Africa. They are fairly large flies, nearly twice the size of the housefly, with a metallic blue abdomen and long orange setae on the gena.

While adult flies feed on nectar, females deposit their eggs on rotting corpses, making them important forensic insects, as their eggs and timing of oviposition can be used to estimate time of death. Bluebottle flies are typically 10–14 mm (3⁄8–9⁄16 in) long, almost twice the size of a housefly. The head and thorax are dull gray, and the back of the head has long yellow-orange setae. The abdomen is bright metallic blue with black markings. Its body and legs are covered with black bristly hairs. It has short, aristate antennae and four tarsi per leg. The eyes are red and the wings are transparent. The legs and antennae are black and pink. The chest is bright purple and has spikes for protection from other flies. To differentiate C. vomitoria... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Paris 🇫🇷 France
<5%
2 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Orange-Bearded Bluebottle Fly in London?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Orange-Bearded Bluebottle Fly sighting in London on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1300th most-seen of the 1504 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Orange-Bearded Bluebottle Fly in London?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Orange-Bearded Bluebottle Fly in London on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

Is London the best place to see an Orange-Bearded Bluebottle Fly?

Among the best

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Orange-Bearded Bluebottle Fly sightings, London ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Paris (France, under 5%).

Where does the Orange-Bearded Bluebottle Fly sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Orange-Bearded Bluebottle Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in London (6 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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