# house fly parasite?



## saltyscissors (Nov 4, 2009)

Occasionally I find dead house flies hanging onto walls, with their "backs" arched and their wings spread. Simply blowing on them causes them to fall down, and they remain motionless. Is this a parasite that causes this?


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## Widowman10 (Nov 4, 2009)

if they are indeed "dead, hanging onto walls" i would expect them to remain motionless when they are knocked to the floor  

what you could do is keep one if you really want and examine it. 

i personally would not think it to be a parasite thing, especially if you are finding many.


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## buggal (Nov 4, 2009)

*Possibly. . . .*

Actually I work with houseflies as a research scientist.  There is a fungus that can cause houseflies to die as they are hanging on to the wall.  It is called Bavaria bassiana.  We get this fungus in our house fly colony sometimes.  Do they look fat and distended in the abdomen area?  Is this distended area yellowish/cream?  If so then it is probably the fungus.  If you post a picture of one of them both dorsal and ventral views I could tell you.  Don't worry it is not harmful and to humans but great for fly control.


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## dtknow (Nov 4, 2009)

So I might as well tack the question onto this thread of a good way to control nuisance flies?(indoors and out?) 

Lets assume that we are concerned with only adults and it is not large number of flies.(just enough to be a bother)


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## Widowman10 (Nov 4, 2009)

that's a good point about the fungus. i would think fungus before parasite.


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## Finntroll86 (Nov 5, 2009)

buggal said:


> Actually I work with houseflies as a research scientist.  There is a fungus that can cause houseflies to die as they are hanging on to the wall.  It is called Bavaria bassiana.  We get this fungus in our house fly colony sometimes.  Do they look fat and distended in the abdomen area?  Is this distended area yellowish/cream?  If so then it is probably the fungus.  If you post a picture of one of them both dorsal and ventral views I could tell you.  Don't worry it is not harmful and to humans but great for fly control.


Yea, its common to attack cinch bugs in lawns and like most fungi is in a higher contamination period during fall/winter. Sorry don't mean to be a jerk or a "know it all" and I am sure its a typo but you are talking about _*Beauvaria* bassiana_ or muscardine disease. It was a huge problem with European silkworm population in the early 1800's and curiously used by Russia during 1960's to control potato beetles.


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## Scythemantis (Nov 5, 2009)

I immediately recognized the symptoms of parasitic fungus. It triggers something in the fly's brain causing it to seek out a high place to cling by its mouth, then beat its wings to help spread the spores. I think what actually kills the fly is exhaustion.



> that's a good point about the fungus. i would think fungus before parasite.


It's both. A parasite can be any type of organism, a plant, an animal, a fungus, doesn't matter. The term just refers to a lifestyle.


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## Widowman10 (Nov 5, 2009)

Scythemantis said:


> It's both. A parasite can be any type of organism, a plant, an animal, a fungus, doesn't matter. The term just refers to a lifestyle.


another good point, thanks for clarifying that. should have said that as bio was my major


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## Dark Raptor (Nov 10, 2009)

saltyscissors said:


> Occasionally I find dead house flies hanging onto walls, with their "backs" arched and their wings spread. Simply blowing on them causes them to fall down, and they remain motionless. Is this a parasite that causes this?


It sounds more like _Entomophtora muscae_. Very common fungus in many parts of the world. I find it mostly on fruit flies, but also on house flies.

_Beauvaria bassiana_ works in a much different way 

Edit: I've found pictures in my database:

E. muscae






B. bassiana


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## Widowman10 (Nov 10, 2009)

amazing, as usual, but a question. is that top picture showing stuff exploding out? spores?


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## Dark Raptor (Nov 12, 2009)

Widowman10 said:


> amazing, as usual, but a question. is that top picture showing stuff exploding out? spores?


Exacly.


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## Widowman10 (Nov 12, 2009)

thanks! not gonna lie, that's pretty sweet. perfect timing.


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