Phorid/Humpbacked/Scuttle/Coffin Fly

Important Considerations:

• The Humpback Fly gets its name from their humpbacked appearance when viewed from the side, due to their small head and prominent pronotum

• The Scuttle Fly gets its name from running around in an erratic pattern

• The Coffin Fly gets its name from the fact that they commonly breed in human corpses

• Worldwide there are over 2,500 species of these Phorid flies

• Females lay their eggs into the larval food, with 1-100 eggs being laid at one time

• They are mostly nuisance pests but have been found to infest human wounds and the eyes and intestines of corpses

Where to Find Them on Your Property?

You will find these types of flies on flowers or on larval food materials, such as decaying organic matter. Due to the fact that they are so unsanitary, they may transport disease-causing organisms to food materials. Some are parasitic and will attack other insects and arthropods. In or around structures you can find them inside drain pipes, inside of the trash, or around moist or rotting substances.