Lucilia sericata (Meigen 1826)

Musca sericata Meigen, 1826: 53 . Type location: Austria.

Musca nobilis Meigen, 1826: 56 . Senior synonym; junior primary homonym, preoccupied by Musca nobilis Gmelin, 1790: 2829, unjustified/unnecessary new replacement name for Thereva nobilitata (Fabricius, 1775: 757) ( Therevidae).

Chrysomya capensis Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830: 451 . Junior synonym.

Musca tegulari a Wiedemann, 1830: 655. Junior synonym.

Lucilia pruniosa Meigen, 1838: 294 . Junior synonym.

Lucilia flavipennis Macquart, 1844: 139 . Junior synonym.

Musca lagyra Walker, 1849: 885 . Junior synonym.

Lucilia latifrons Schiner, 1861: 590 . Junior synonym.

Phaenicia concinna Robineau-Desvoidy, 1863: 778 . Junior synonym.

Lucilia sayi Jaennicke, 1867: 375 . Junior synonym.

Lucilia frontalis Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1891: 420 . Junior synonym.

Lucilia barberi Townsend, 1908: 121 . Junior synonym.

Lucilia giraulti Townsend, 1908: 121 . Junior synonym.

Distribution: Cosmopolitan. Recorded abundantly from all continents. Probably the most common blow fly worldwide, certainly, the most common fly encountered indoors by homeowners in California.

Remarks: This is the common green bottle or English sheep fly. Though primarily a carrion feeder, the larvae are commonly involved in wound myiasis and are important in certain parts of the world, including California, as producers of sheep strike. Some strains seem much more inclined to a parasitic existence than others; in fact, it was chiefly nonvirulent strains of this fly that were used in maggot therapy. Adults freely enter houses and other buildings, where they may contaminate food. (James 1955), reported it from 35 out of 58 California counties.

Material examined: BAJA CALIFORNIA: San Felipe 5-iii-1963 P.H. Arnaud Jr. (CAS) ; 0.5 mi. N. San Vicente 21-iv-1963 Leach & Arnaud (CAS); Arroyo Santo Domingo 5.7mi. E. Hamilton Ranch 23-iv-1963 Leach & Arnaud (CAS) ; N. foot Red Rock, Hamilton Ranch 24-iv-1963 Leach & Arnaud (CAS) ; 27.8 mi. S. Tijuana, iii-24- 64 M. E. Irwin (UCR) ; Punta Piedia, N. of Ensenada ix-1-65 seashore S.&S. Frommer (UCR) ; Dump N. of Bahia de Los Angeles, x dead Lamna ditropis 3-v-1968 Richard P. Papp (CAS) ; Turnoff Mex Hwy 1, 3km. S. Ensenada coastal dunes 18-vii-1977 D. Weissman & C. Mullenex (CAS) ; Isla de Cedros, vic. Cerro de Cedros, 3 Apr 1983 (SDM) ; Mx-BC Ensenada, coastal sand dunes, bait trap R. norvegicus, 8–15 Nov 2018 L. Stotelmyre (SDM); (literature review) : El Mogor, Punta Colonet, Sierra Juarez, Sierra San Pedro Martir, Santa Catarina, Rio Hardy, San Felipe, Representative voucher specimens 2017–19 Ketzaly Munguia-Ortega (ECSR) ;

BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR: San Benedicto Island, Revillagigedo Group, iv-30-55 McDonald & Blodget (LACM);

La Paz, el. 25ft. 5 May 1969 Stanley C. Williams (CAS) ; Mx. Isla De Guadeloupe, SE End Village Cyn. 23 Apr 1984 D.K. Faulkner (SDM) ; Mx. San Benedicto Island, Herrera Crater, 600’ 15 Apr 1987 D.K. Faulkner (SDM) ; Mx-BCX Cabo Pulmo, coastal sand dunes bait trap, 13–15 Jan 2019 L. Stotelmyre (SDM) ; Mx-BCX Guerrero Negro, bait trap R. norvegicus, 10–16 Jan 2019 L. Stotelmyre (SDM) ; Mx-BCX San Ignacio, bait trap R. norvegicus, 10–16 Jan 2019 L. Stotelmyre (SDM) .