Also known as: Sheep headfly

Scientific Classification

Phylum Arthropoda
Class Insecta
Order Diptera
Family Trichodectidae

Hosts

Cattle, sheep, and horses.

Identification

H. irritans is morphologically very similar in appearance to Musca. The adult flies are 4-7mm in length, have a green thorax and a yellow abdomen.

Life Cycle

The female lays eggs in the faeces, or decaying vegetation. Eggs then hatch into larvae in the autumn, and begin to mature. However, development is haltered until the following spring. They then undergo pupation, and maturation is complete. Adults emerge in summer.