30 FLIES FOUND IN HOUSES 



Fannia {Homalomyid) caniciilaris L. The lesser house-fly. 



This fly in general appearance closely resembles the house- 

 fly {M. domesticd), but is smaller and more slender in build, and 

 can be easily distinguished by the fact that the 4th longitudinal 

 vein of the wing does not bend upwards towards the 3rd vein, 

 but runs straight to the edge of the wing. (PI. VI, fig. i.) 



Length. 6 mm. ; span of wings 12 mm. 



Head. In the <? the eyes, which are reddish, are close together, being separated by a 

 space equal to one-seventh of the diameter of the head. In the ? they are 

 separated by an area equal to one-third the diameter of the head. The frontal 

 stripe is black, but the frontal margins of the eyes and cheeks are silvery white in 

 the c?, and grey in the ? . The antennce are blackish grey, with non-feathered 

 aristae. The palps are black. 



Thorax. Blackish grey, with three plainly marked longitudinal black stripes in the 

 ? . In the S these stripes are indistinct. The scutellum is grey and bears long 

 bristles. 



Wings. Clear. The end of the 4th longitudinal vein is parallel to the vein above it, 

 not bent up. In the resting position the tips of the wings are closer together than 

 in the house-fly, thus increasing the narrower appearance of the insect. Squama 

 large and white ; halteres yellow. 



Legs. Black. The femora of the Jiiiddle legs bear comb-like bristles beneath (Fig. 



14). 

 Abdomen. Five segments visible. Narrow and tapering, dark brown in colour, and 

 has ochraceous-buff patches on each side of the basal half in the i , but in the 

 ? is generally uniformly greenish. In the <? the buff areas when seen against 

 the light, as on a window-pane, are transparent. In the ? the abdomen is more 

 pyriform than in the J. 



This fly, which is common in Europe and in America, appears 

 in the house before the true house-fly and may be found in May 

 and June. Later it is displaced by the house-fly. "The males 

 accompanied by a varying number of females may frequently be 

 observed flying round chandeliers, etc., in the living rooms and 

 bedrooms of houses, in a characteristic, jerky and hovering 

 manner" (Hewitt, 191 2, p. 40). Next to the house-fly, it is the 

 fly most commonly found in houses. 



Food brought into a room does not greatly attract these 

 insects, which often continue to fly about near the ceiling without 

 making any attempt to settle on it. 



Although this fly is undoubtedly capable of carrying disease 

 germs, and frequents excrement, it is from its indoor habits 

 probably much less dangerous than the house-fly or blow-fly. 



