"filth fly" photo

[Ecooper]

Photos of a "filth fly", genus Muscina . These flies are found worldwide, commonly hanging around livestock facilities, restrooms, outhouses, cadavers; hence the rather unfortunate common name of filth fly...

Photographed with an Olympus OM-D EM-5, 60mm macro lens, and flash.

Cheers,

EC

www.macrocritters.wordpress.com

P8290318 flesh fly copyright Ernie Cooper 2013 by ernie.cooper, on Flickr

P8290314 flesh fly copyright Ernie Cooper 2013 by ernie.cooper, on Flickr

 

[HungryGhost]

Who knew a filth fly could be handsome? I guess if you look closely enough at anything you can se it for what it really is. Great photo.

 

[Aryia]

Awesome picture! Though I still wouldn't call it handsome hehe

 

[Digger]

How the hel* did you get so close without him flying off?? I know -- you'll never tell (don't blame you).

 

[Peter Clausen]

How do you identify your specimens? I have a lot of trouble with flies.

 

[Ecooper]

Awesome picture! Though I still wouldn't call it handsome hehe

Well, maybe not as pretty as a greenbottle or a flesh fly, but these flies have awfully pretty eyes!

Cheers,

EC

 

[Ecooper]

How the hel* did you get so close without him flying off?? I know -- you'll never tell (don't blame you).

LOL! Actually, I always write about how I got my photos when I post them on my blog...and I post a lot of fly photos.

These sort of flies are pretty easy to photograph if you bait them. A couple of times a year I put out a piece of nice red salmon to attract blow flies and flesh flies to photograph. My 60mm macro lens gives me about 4 inches of working distance at 1:1 magnification. When the flies are feeding they are pretty tolerant of the camera.

I photographed these flies the day after I put out salmon (which was already in the garbage). But there was still enough fishy smell to attract these critters...

Cheers,

EC

www.macrocritters.wordpress.com

 

[Ecooper]

How do you identify your specimens? I have a lot of trouble with flies.

Me too actually...I get more identifications wrong than I do right! I recommend the book "Flies; The Natural History and Diversity of Diptera" by Stephen A. Marshall. I also recommend the diptera.info forum (http://www.diptera.info/forum/index.php). You can post photos and get help with identification. That's how I ID'd these beasts.

Cheers,

EC

www.macrocritters.wordpress.com