Heidi & Hans-Juergen Koch / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphora erythrocephala) flying, worldwide distribution

Cyril Ruoso / Green blowfly (Lucilia sericata) on Prunus (Prunus sp) blossom. Bourgogne-Franche-Comte, France. April.

Heather Angel / Blowfly (Calliphora sp) nectaring on Common rue (Ruta graveolens). Surrey, England, UK. July.

Rod Williams / Bluebottle fly (Calliphora vomitoria) on ivy leaf, showing blue abdomen. Beverley Court Gardens, Lewisham, England, November

Jiri Lochman / Green blowfly (Lucilia sericata) male, Western Australia.

Jiri Lochman / Snail parasite blowfly (Amenia imperialis) Cape Tribulation, North-eastern Queensland, Australia.

Rod Williams / Greenbottle (Lucilia sp) Brockley Cemetery, Lewisham, London, England, UK. July.

MYN / Lily Kumpe / Blowfly (Chrysomya sp) Queensland, Australia. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

MYN / Lily Kumpe / Green blowfly (Lucilia sericata) Queensland, Australia. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

Paul Bertner / Blue Bottle Fly (Bengalia sp), Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar

Rod Williams / Greenbottles (Lucilia sp) mating pair, Ladywell Fields, Lewisham, South East London, England, UK, July.

Alex Hyde / Greenbottle (Lucilia caesar) feeding on Hemp agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum) Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk, UK, September.

Nick Upton / Hoverfly (Eristalis nemorum) and Greenbottle (Lucilia) nectaring on Wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare) flowers in a chalk grassland meadow, Wiltshire, England, UK, August.

Rod Williams / Greenbottle flies (Lucilia sp) mating pair, Brockley, Lewisham, London, UK June

Doug Wechsler / Green bottle fly (Lucilia sp) pollinating white snakeroot, Philadelphia, USA October

Nick Upton / Two Greenbottles / Blowflies (Lucilia sp.) foraging on a ripe Blackberry (Rubus plicatus), GWT Lower Woods reserve, Gloucestershire, UK, July.

Rod Williams / Greenbottle (Lucilia sp) on Everlasting sweet pea flower, Brockley Cemetery, Lewisham, London, England, August.

Will Watson / Honey bee (Apis mellifera) and Green bottle fly (blow fly), on thistle flower, Ceredigion, Wales, UK, August.

Jussi Murtosaari / Flies (Brachycera) on leaf, Parikkala, Etela-Karjala / South Karelia, Etela-Suomi / South Finland, Finland. June

Rod Williams / Greenbottles (Lucilia Sp) mating pair showing colour variation, Ladywell Fields, Lewisham, London, England, UK. April

Jussi Murtosaari / Fly (Brachycera) on Lily of the Valley berries, Parikkala, Etela-Karjala / South Karelia, Etela-Suomi / South Finland, Finland. September

Alex Hyde / Greenbottle (Lucilia caesar) Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. July.

MYN / Pierre Escoubas / Blow fly / greenbottle (Lucilia sp) Valbonne, France, July. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

Adrian Davies / Bluebottles (Calliphora sp.) trapped in the sticky tendrils of a Flycatcher bush (Roridula gorgonias), Kew Botanic Gardens, UK. Occurs in South Africa.

Robin Chittenden / Greenbottle Fly (Lucilia sp) on leaf, England, UK, July.

Stephen Dalton / Green bottle (Lucilia sp) on faeces, Sussex, England, UK, August.

Rod Williams / Greenbottles (Lucilia sp) feeding on dog faeces Lewisham, London, England, UK, September.

Michael Durham / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphoridae) feeding on flower nectar, western Oregon

Christian Ziegler / Orchid (Masdevallia caloptera) flower with its pollinator Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphoridae) carrying yellow pollinium on its back, Finca Dracula Orchid Sanctuary, western Panama

Nick Upton / Blowfly (Rhyncomya sp.) feeding on Variegated Spurge (Euphorbia marginata) flowers. Lesbos / Lesvos, Greece, August.

Nick Upton / Blowfly (Rhyncomya sp.) on Variegated Spurge (Euphorbia marginata) flowers. Lesbos / Lesvos, Greece, August.

Nick Upton / Blowfly (Rhyncomya sp.) on Variegated Spurge (Euphorbia marginata) flowers. Lesbos / Lesvos, Greece, August.

Nick Upton / Blowfly (Rhyncomya sp.) on Variegated Spurge (Euphorbia marginata) flowers. Lesbos / Lesvos, Greece, August.

Chien Lee / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphoridae) emerging from a Rafflesia (Rafflesia tuan-mudae) flower with pollen stuck to its back, Gunung Braang, Padawan, Malaysia

Doug Wechsler / Blow Fly {Lucilla sp} Pennsylvania, USA

Michael Durham / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphoridae) lands on the pelage of a dead Townsend's Mole while another is already feeding. These flies are attracted to the odor of the decaying animal

Kim Taylor / Bluebottle / blowfly portrait {Calliphora sp} UK.

Kim Taylor / Bluebottle / blowfly eggs on rotting meat {Calliphora sp} UK.

Kim Taylor / Two Bluebottle flies / Blowflies {Calliphora sp} UK.

Kim Taylor / Bluebottle fly / Blowfly {Calliphora sp} feeding on meat, UK.

Heidi & Hans-Juergen Koch / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphora erythrocephala) feeding on Kiwi fruit showing compound eyes and mouth parts, worldwide distribution

Heidi & Hans-Juergen Koch / Greenbottle Fly (Lucilia caesar) mass of newly hatched flies on cocoons, worldwide distribution

Heidi & Hans-Juergen Koch / Greenbottle Fly (Lucilia caesar) close-up of compound eye, worldwide distribution

Heidi & Hans-Juergen Koch / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphora erythrocephala) close-up portrait showing compound eyes and mouth parts, worldwide distribution

Heidi & Hans-Juergen Koch / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphora erythrocephala) close-up portrait showing compound eye, worldwide distribution

Heidi & Hans-Juergen Koch / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphora erythrocephala) newly hatched, still has forehead bubble and body is light and soft, worldwide distribution

Heidi & Hans-Juergen Koch / Greenbottle Fly (Lucilia caesar) mass of newly hatched flies, worldwide distribution

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Starfish Stinkhorn (Aseroe rubra) with Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphoridae) group feeding on and dispersing spores, cloud forest, Costa Rica

Mark Moffett / Blue Bottle Fly (Bengalia sp) perched on leaf above Marauder Ant (Pheidologeton diversus) trail, waiting to grab food from ants, Malaysia

Scott Leslie / Greenbottle Fly (Lucilia sericata) pollinating a daisy, Nova Scotia, Canada

Michael Durham / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphora sp) approaching flower, North America

Michael Durham / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphora sp) feeding on flower nectar, North America

Christian Ziegler / Orchid (Masdevallia regina) flower and Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphoridae), Finca Dracula Orchid Sanctuary, western Panama

Ingo Arndt / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphora erythrocephala) hatching, Germany

Michael Durham / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphora sp) flying, western Oregon

Michael Durham / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphora sp) flying, western Oregon

Heidi & Hans-Juergen Koch / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphora erythrocephala) flying, worldwide distribution

Michael Hutchinson / Flower crab spider (Misumena vatia) female, on flower clutching Greenbottle fly (Lucilia sericata) prey, Bristol, UK. June. Focus stacked.

Michael Hutchinson / Flower crab spider (Misumena vatia) female, on flower clutching Greenbottle fly (Lucilia sericata) prey, Bristol, UK. June.

Doug Wechsler / Blowfly (Calliphoridae) drinking fermented sap (alcohol flux) from tree bark, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA. September.

Doug Wechsler / Cluster flies (Pollenia sp.) pair mating on leaf, Pennsylvania, USA. August.

Nick Upton / Common pond skater / Water strider (Gerris lacustris) on surface of garden pond with Bluebottle (Calliphora vomitoria) prey impaled on its rostrum, Wiltshire, UK. June.

Nick Upton / Dark-palped Melinda / Bluebottle fly (Melinda viridicyanea) resting on a leaf in garden, Wiltshire, UK. August.

Nigel Cattlin / Recovering Fly strike wound on the hind quarters of a Friesian sheep, caused by feeding of Blow fly (Calliphoridae) maggots, Gloucestershire, UK. August.

Nigel Cattlin / Recovering Fly strike wound on the hind quarters of a Friesian sheep, caused by feeding of Blow fly (Calliphoridae) maggots, Gloucestershire, UK. August.

Nick Upton / Elegant anemone (Sagartia elegans) with its foraging tentacles out in a rock pool low on the shore, The Gower, Wales, UK, August.

Nick Upton / Cluster fly (Pollenia sp.) resting between an old sash window and secondary double glazing with several Yellow swarming flies / Chloropid flies (Thaumatomyia notata) gathering to hibernate in the same...

Neil Aldridge / Close up of domestic cattle (Bos taurus) noses surrounded by flies, Cornwall, England, UK, October.

Neil Aldridge / Close up of domestic cattle (Bos taurus) noses surrounded by flies, Somerset, England, UK, August.

Neil Aldridge / Close up of Domestic Cattle (Bos taurus) faces surrounded by flies, Somerset, England, UK, August.

Neil Aldridge / Close up of domestic cattle (Bos taurus) chewing whilst surrounded by flies, Somerset, England, UK, August.

Phil Savoie / Greenbottle fly (Lucilia sericata), Monmouthshire, Wales, UK, February.

Nick Upton / Yellow swarming fly (Thaumatomyia notata) swarm aggregating between window panes, alongside Cluster fly (Pollenia sp). Wiltshire, England, UK. September.

Nick Upton / Yellow swarming fly (Thaumatomyia notata) swarm aggregating in house above window alongside Cluster fly (Pollenia sp) and Harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis). Wiltshire, England, UK. September.

Nick Upton / Yellow swarming fly (Thaumatomyia notata) swarm aggregating between window panes, alongside Cluster fly (Pollenia sp). Wiltshire, England, UK. September.

Nick Upton / Yellow swarming fly (Thaumatomyia notata) swarm aggregating between window panes, alongside Cluster fly (Pollenia sp). Wiltshire, England, UK. September.

Georgette Douwma / Greenbottle (Lucilia caesar) flies on a chicken bone. UK.

Georgette Douwma / Greenbottle (Lucilia caesar) flies on a chicken bone. UK.

Doug Wechsler / Blow fly (Lucilia) Wissahickon Valley Park, Pennsylvania, USA, September.