Oriental Latrine Fly

Oriental Latrine Fly

Chrysomya megacephala

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Galápagos Islands

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

6 Verified sightings at Galápagos Islands From 2019 to 2026
11 In all 2 parks
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Oriental Latrine Fly

Chrysomya megacephala, more commonly known as the oriental latrine fly or oriental blue fly, is a member of the family Calliphoridae (blowflies). It is a warm-weather fly with a greenish-blue metallic box-like body. The fly infests corpses soon after death, making it important to forensic science. This fly is implicated in some public health issues; it can be the cause of myiasis, and also infects fish and livestock.

Chrysomya megacephala's eggs are "oval with one flat face and another convex". Adult flies reflect a metallic blue-green color on their thorax and abdomen and have yellow gena, or cheeks. Larvae vary in size according to instar and are shaped more thickly towards the rear. C. megacephala have large red eyes, those of males being close together, and those of females farther apart. The cercus of the male is longer than that of the female.

Chrysomya megacephala has a wide geographical distribution. It is most common in the Oriental and Australasian realms. It is also found in Japan and the Palearctic realm. The range of C. megacephala has grown since the 1970s, with the species expanding into New Zealand and Africa, along with... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Guiyang 🇨🇳 China
~30%
2 Tel Aviv 🇮🇱 Israel
~20%
3 Prayagraj 🇮🇳 India
~10%
4 Zhuhai [Macau] 🇨🇳 China
~10%
5 Montevideo 🇺🇾 Uruguay
~10%
6 Pune 🇮🇳 India
~10%
7 Manila 🇵🇭 Philippines
~10%
8 Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
9 Chennai 🇮🇳 India
~10%
10 Mumbai 🇮🇳 India
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Oriental Latrine Fly in Galápagos Islands?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Oriental Latrine Fly sighting in Galápagos Islands on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 68th most-seen of the 83 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 Oriental Latrine Fly in Galápagos Islands?

March and July

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Oriental Latrine Fly in Galápagos Islands on a given day, against under 5% in April–June and August–February, the lowest months. Those are among Galápagos Islands's wettest months, with about 25 mm of rain a month against almost none in August.

What time of day is best to see an Oriental Latrine Fly?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Oriental Latrine Fly sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Galápagos Islands the best place to see an Oriental Latrine Fly?

Among the best

Of the 2 parks where we can rate Oriental Latrine Fly sightings, Galápagos Islands ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Everglades National Park (United States, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Oriental Latrine Fly live in Galápagos Islands?

Same order: Diptera

The closest relatives of the Oriental Latrine Fly that you can see in Galápagos Islands (order Diptera, Flies) are Toxomerus crockeri (about 10%) and Tabanus vittiger (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Oriental Latrine Fly sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Oriental Latrine Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Galápagos Islands (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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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