Blue Bottle Fly

It's not a broach
Nor a piece of art made in stained glass
It's definitely not the most admired
But its blues set it apart

It's not just peacocks who shimmer in blue
It's not just the sky that glows in blue
It's not just the sea with depths of blue
This unwanted fly too...
displays envious shades of blue. 


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Blow flies are one of the most commonly seen insects around the world. 
Their relatively large size and gleaming green, blue, purple or coppery colour is distinctive. 
They usually arrive quickly after an animal dies. The presence of large numbers of blow flies in structures usually indicates an animal has died in or under the structure.
Blow flies feed on a variety of materials, but the larvae of most species are scavengers that live on carrion or dung. The adults lay their eggs on the carcasses of dead animals, and the larvae (maggots) feed on the decaying flesh. The larvae of some species also sometimes infest open wounds of living animals. Although these larvae may assist in preventing infection by cleaning away dead flesh and by producing allantoin, some species may also destroy healthy tissue. 
Forensic entomologists collect insects at crime scenes to provide physical evidence to help recreate events associated with a crime. Blow flies and other insects activity is used to estimate minimum time since the victim's death.



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