blow fly

or blowfly

noun

1. any of numerous dipterous insects of the family Calliphoridae that deposit their eggs or larvae on carrion, excrement, etc., or in wounds of living animals.

Word History and Origins

Origin of blow fly¹

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus, by contrast, got more deadly over time, probably because the virus is spread by blow flies feeding on rabbit carcasses, and quicker death accelerated its spread.

From Science Magazine

The fastest, 730 millimeters per second — or a little over one and a half miles per hour — mimicked a blow fly.

From New York Times

And, of course, there are the flies that feed on dead bodies — the 1,100 different species of blow flies, favorites of forensic detective shows.

From New York Times

Seven centuries later, investigators still look to blow flies, maggots and other insects for evidence.

From Washington Post

The necrobiome, as Benbow called it, represented all the organisms involved in decomposition: bacteria and fungi and nematodes, blow flies and flesh flies, rodents and vertebrate scavengers.

From New York Times