Musca autumnalis De Geer, 1776
(Face Fly, Autumn House-fly)

Interactions where Musca autumnalis is the dominant partner and gains from the process

The following relationships have been collated from the published literature (see 'Interaction References').

Stage Summary Taxon Vernacular Classification References Darwin Classification of Active Taxon Active Taxon Active Vernacular Active Taxon Uncertain Active State Active Part Active Stage Relationship Relationship Uncertain Relationship Geography Darwin Classification of Passive Taxon Passive Taxon Passive Vernacular Passive Taxon Uncertain Passive State Passive Part Passive Stage Passive Taxon's significance to Active Taxon Indoors etc Season
larva larva inhabits dung of Major Bos taurus Cattle, Domestic Cattle Artiodactyla: Bovidae Diptera: Cyclorrapha Calyptrata Sect (b) Muscidae, Fonseca, E.C.M. d’Assis, 1968
Insects of the British Cow-Dung Community, Skidmore, P., 1991
 /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Diptera/Muscidae/Musca autumnalis/Musca autumnalisface fly, autumn house-flylarva Animal / dung / associate /Animalia/Chordata/Mammalia/Artiodactyla/Bovidae/Bos taurus/Bos tauruscattle, domestic cattleMajor
larva larva inhabits dung of Equus ferus Horse Perissodactyla: Equidae Diptera: Cyclorrapha Calyptrata Sect (b) Muscidae, Fonseca, E.C.M. d’Assis, 1968
 /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Diptera/Muscidae/Musca autumnalis/Musca autumnalisface fly, autumn house-flylarva Animal / dung / associate /Animalia/Chordata/Mammalia/Perissodactyla/Equidae/Equus ferus/Equus ferushorse

Author & YearTitleSource
Fonseca, E.C.M. d’Assis, 1968Diptera: Cyclorrapha Calyptrata Sect (b) MuscidaeHandbooks for the Identification of British Insects , Vol X. Part 4(b), 119pp, The Royal Entomological Society of London
Skidmore, P., 1991Insects of the British Cow-Dung CommunityAIDGAP Keys: Occasional Publication, No 21, 166pp, Field Studies Council

Musca autumnalis (Face Fly, Autumn House-fly) may also be included in 'feeds on' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Musca autumnalis (Face Fly, Autumn House-fly) may be included in 'fed on by' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesMusca autumnalis (Face Fly, Autumn House-fly)
GenusMusca (house-flies)
FamilyMUSCIDAE (muscid flies: house fly, green bottles)
SuperfamilyMUSCOIDEA (dung and house flies)
InfraorderSchizophora - Calyptratae (an infraorder of flies)
OrderDIPTERA (two-winged flies)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Musca autumnalis (Face Fly, Autumn House-fly)

Musca autumnalis (Face Fly, Autumn House-fly) may be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

Literature listed under the following higher taxa may be relevant to Musca autumnalis (Face Fly, Autumn House-fly):

BioImagesBioImages (www.bioimages.org.uk) has 38 images of Musca autumnalis (Face Fly, Autumn House-fly)

Generally by far the commonest member of the genus with us, this is a very common fly around cattle and horses (in whose dung it breeds) as well as farther afield. Both sexes have red eyes, a grey thorax with four conspicuous black stripes, and wings tinged orange towards the base, especially on the veins in the female. The male has a black abdomen with a large bright orange patch at each side, while the female is yet another fly whose abdomen sports a grey and black checkerboard of shimmer patches.

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