Calliphora vicina (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830) Commonly known as “Blue Bottle Fly”
Length: 10mm to 11mm
Family: Calliphoridae.
Flight Season: Mainly April to mid October
Calliphora vicina is a common and widespread species, found throughout the world, seemingly more abundant in Spring and Autumn months, when temperatures range more consistently, between 13 to 24 degrees centigrade. This fly is able to tolerate lower threshold temperatures for flight activity, than most other blow-flies.
Calliphora vicina happens to be one of the most important flies, for forensic entomology. Because of its consistent timeframes when arriving and colonises on a human body, shortly after death. Times between the three instars, (each instar is a stage in the flies life cycle) pupa stage and post-feeding larval dispersal, are the keys to determine the post mortem intervals regarding a criminal case.

Habitat: Anywhere carrion is found, the larvae can be found in fresh meat, garbage and decaying organic material.
The female C. vicina can lay up to 300 eggs, on not just fresh carrion but also fresh wounds. Can also infect many species of animals, especially those that are not in the best state of health. These are usually sickly animals that are not able to “clean” themselves properly.
Approximately after 24 hours the eggs are laid, the first instar emerges as larvae and they immediately begin feeding for a few days.
The larvae are a milky white in colour and are commonly known as “maggots”. The maggots go through two more instars, second after 20 hours, the third instar in 48 hours.
Temperatures have a bearing on the above stages on each instar, warmer the temperature, then each instar takes less time, to develop. When the larvae complete their development in about three to four days, they will finish feeding. The “maggots” will crawl away and start to burrow into a dry place to pupate; usually in soil or a similar material. After 11 to 12 days the adult flies begin to emerge from the hard-cased cocoons. Then they will promptly start to mate, completing the Calliphora vicina life cycle which lasts approximately 18 days. (Egg, larva, pupa, and adult fly).