Critter: Blow fly or bottle fly

You can call me: Blow fly, but some people call me bottle fly. I'm from the family Calliphoridae. I got the name "blow fly" because people noticed I'm always hanging around on carcasses when they are swollen, or blown.

Check out my looks: I'm larger than a house fly and metallic-green in color. I have a gorgeous blue hue when seen in sunlight.

Home is where we bat our wings: My relatives are established in Arizona, Southern California, Texas, Louisiana and Florida, but can be found throughout Central America, Japan and India. I live on and have babies in rotting flesh, garbage and fecal matter.

In my spare time: I enjoy hanging out on dead bodies and on garbage. I have an incredibly loud buzz.

You need me: I am important for forensic purposes in the Southwest because I can help solve death mysteries. Detectives sometimes use me to determine how long something has been dead. I usually arrive within the first 10 minutes after someone has died. Also, my larvae are used to treat osteomyelitis, a bone disease. I quickly decompose dead animals during hot weather.

Life is short: About six weeks.