Photos of a "filth fly"

[ecooper]

Photos of a "filth fly", genus Muscina . These flies are found worldwide, commonly hanging around livestock facilities, restrooms, outhouses, cadavers; hence the rather unfortunate common name of filth fly...

Photographed with an Olympus OM-D EM-5, 60mm Zuiko f2.8 macro lens, and flash. I don't remember if I used the FL36 or the ring flash (oops).

Cheers,
EC

www.macrocritters.wordpress.com

P8290318 flesh fly copyright Ernie Cooper 2013 by ernie.cooper, on Flickr

P8290314 flesh fly copyright Ernie Cooper 2013 by ernie.cooper, on Flickr

 

[oldmanofthesea]

Awesome pics of a semi disgusting insect! ron

 

[Cavedweller]

Wow those photos are amazing! I never realized how beautiful and jewel-like their eyes are.

 

[edgeofthefreak]

Your photos make them look almost lap dog sized. I can picture one of those sitting beside me watching TV.

I wonder if they purr.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[ecooper]

Thanks all, oh, and I think a lapdog sized fly would be very cool! I don't think they'd purr, but maybe they would buzz contentedly while on your lap!

EC

 

[The Snark]

What is the depth of field with that lens? It looks like several mm.

BTW, it is Muscidae family, sub muscinae, tr muscini, g Musca, sp musca domestica.

 

[ecooper]

What is the depth of field with that lens? It looks like several mm.

BTW, it is Muscidae family, sub muscinae, tr muscini, g Musca, sp musca domestica.

A quick calculation using the online depth of field calculator (http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html) indicates that I have a depth of field of 2.3 mm with this lens at it's closest focus. I don't recall how close I was to these flies, but given their size in the photos I wasn't at 1:1, so an estimate of about 4mm depth of field seems about right.

Are you sure about the identification? The consensus on diptera.info was Muscina. I don't pretend to be a dipterologist and don't know how to distinguish between the 2 genera.

Cheers,
EC

 

[The Snark]

I must apologize. For some reason I got to thinking Musca Domestica, while you posted about Muscina Stabulans. Your terminology is correct.

Over the years I have tried, and failed miserably, to understand focal distance and depth parameters. From a couple of grad students trying to explain the workings of the Palomar 200 inch to me to a business associate's dissertation that included 7 pages of extreme technical jargon, and for reasons best known to itself, my brain flatly rejects comprehending how the focal distance parametrics work. Any suggested reading?

 

[Tongue Flicker]

Just remembered a fly joke about why they rub their hands upon seeing these photos lol