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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of flesh fly

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325

Example Sentences

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

Would it not be the same with the pupa of the flesh fly?

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

This brings us back, after a long way round, to our starting point, the maggot of the flesh fly.

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

Then why does the flesh fly, who but now was dropping her grubs from a goodly height, refuse to let them fall from the top of a column twice as high?

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

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