Cynomya mortuorum belongs to the order Diptera, sometimes referred to as "true flies". In English, the only common name occasionally used is "fly of the dead" (Totenfliege in German). It has a bluish-green appearance, similar to other Calliphoridae and is found in multiple geographic locations with a preference for colder regions. Belonging to the family Calliphoridae, it has been shown to have forensically relevant implications due to its appearance on carrion. Current research is being done to determine C. mortuorum's level of importance and usage within forensic entomology.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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starts withThe genus Cynomya is generally identified by their lack of presutural intra-alar seta. Also, this genus has a shining abdomen, and when they are viewed from the posterior, no microtomentum can be seen. Within this genus, there are two species that can be commonly confused: Cynomya mortuorum and Cynomya cadaverina. However, looking at specific characteristics can help separate these two species. First, C. mortuorum has bright yellow to orange gena, or cheeks, and parafacials, whereas C. cadaverina has black or reddish brown gena and parafacial setae. Also, C. mortuorum has only one postacrostichal seta, and C. cadaverina has two. Lastly, C. cadaverina is much more common throughout North America.
C. mortuorum lives on woodland edges, meadows, and other places with flowers in Europe and Asia. It has been found in the northern regions of both Europe and North America, and east to Turkestan. Also, it can be found in a wide variety of carrion from rotting fish to Arctic vole carcasses. Within England, it has been found mostly in upland areas – above 500 m. In these upland areas, it is mostly found on small carcasses, such as mice and other small mammals; occasionally, it will be found on larger carcasses like sheep. In the absence of carrion, excrement provides a food source. The adults feed on pollen, and are found from May to September. C. mortuorum has not been shown to cause myiasis.
As a cold weather fly, it is expected to show up in the fall months. However, one study found the presence of C. mortuorum on a mouse carcass in mid-August, and on a sheep carcass in mid-June.
C. mortuorum is a deep blue-green shining metallic fly with a yellowish face and jowls, possessing a body length of 8–15 mm. This fly is a cold-adapted blowfly originally named by Carl Linnaeus in 1761. It lays its eggs on carrion, which provides food for the larvae and facilitates the larvae's development. The development lasts approximately 38 days. As do most blow flies, or members of the family Calliphoridae, C. mortuorum has a life cycle that includes an egg stage, three larval instars, and a pupal form before becoming an adult, or imago. Insects with this kind of life cycle have holometabolous development, meaning that the larval stage looks completely different from the adult. Each of these stages has identifying characteristics that are unique to this species.
