flesh fly

American  

noun

1. any fly of the family Sarcophagidae, comprising species that deposit their eggs or larvae in carrion or in the flesh of living animals.

---

flesh fly British  

noun

1. any dipterous fly of the genus Sarcophaga , esp S. carnaria , whose larvae feed on carrion or the tissues of living animals: family Calliphoridae

---

Etymology

Origin of flesh fly

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flesh fly

For a while, the common flesh fly, which does not occur in the Americas, appeared there in great abundance on iNaturalist’s maps.

From New York Times ● Dec. 9, 2022

The Bluebottle carefully refrains from laying her eggs upon it and the flesh fly from bringing forth her offspring, both of them knowing that their newborn young are incapable of piercing the obstacle.

From The Life of the fly; with which are interspersed some chapters of autobiography by Teixeira de Mattos, Alexander

Then the bluebottle, the flesh fly and other flies whose grubs batten on dead bodies are kept at a proper distance.

From The Life of the fly; with which are interspersed some chapters of autobiography by Teixeira de Mattos, Alexander

But when the fall does not exceed a certain depth, the budding worms of the flesh fly are dropped without a qualm, as all our experiments show.

From The Life of the fly; with which are interspersed some chapters of autobiography by Teixeira de Mattos, Alexander

The bluebottle is abundant in these Yosemite woods, ever ready with his marvelous store of eggs to make all dead flesh fly.

From My First Summer in the Sierra by Muir, John