# Housefly (*Musca domestica*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/housefly  
Data as of: 2026-11-13

The housefly (Musca domestica) is an insect in the family Muscidae, part of the order Diptera. It belongs to the genus Musca, the tribe Muscini and the subfamily Muscinae, within the class Insecta and the phylum Arthropoda. The scientific name Musca domestica was given by Linnaeus, 1758. Other English names include House fly, House-fly, Indoor house fly and Common house fly.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | 6 mm – 7 mm |
| Wingspan | 1.3 cm – 1.5 cm |
| Lifespan | 0.0383 years – 0.0767 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Young per litter or clutch | 100 |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Introduced range

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists it as introduced in 6 countries, and flagged as invasive in 1 of them. Introduced: Canary Islands, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Spain, United States. Invasive: Canary Islands. Source: https://griis.org/ (CC BY 4.0).

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Arthropoda
- class: Insecta
- order: Diptera
- family: Muscidae
- genus: Musca
- species: *Musca domestica* Linnaeus, 1758

Synonyms: *Ascaris conosoma*, *Degeeria dawsoni*, *Degeeria obscura*, *Musca analis*, *Musca antiquissima*, *Musca atrifrons*, *Musca aurifacies*, *Musca aurulans*, *Musca australis*, *Musca basilaris*, *Musca campicola*, *Musca chilensis*, *Musca consanguinea*, *Musca contigua*, *Musca cuthbertsoni*, *Musca determinata*, *Musca divaricata*, *Musca domestica var. divisa*, *Musca domestica var. tiberina*, *Musca flavinervis*, *Musca frontalis*, *Musca frontalis*, *Musca fulvescens*, *Musca gymnosomea*, *Musca harpyia*, *Musca harpyia*, *Musca harpyia*, *Musca hottentota*, *Musca lateralis*, *Musca minor*, *Musca minor antiquissima*, *Musca multispina*, *Musca nancauriensis*, *Musca nebulo*, *Musca oceanica*, *Musca pellucens*, *Musca rivularis*, *Musca rufifrons*, *Musca rufiventris*, *Musca sanctaehelenae*, *Musca senegalensis*, *Musca sordidissima*, *Musca soror*, *Musca stomoxidea*, *Musca taitensis*, *Musca umbraculata*, *Musca vaccina*, *Musca vagatoria*, *Musca vicaria*, *Musca vicina*, *Sphora australis*, *Sphora oceanica nigricans*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the housefly?

The housefly is an insect. It belongs to the order Diptera and the family Muscidae.

### What is the scientific name of the housefly?

The scientific name of the housefly is Musca domestica. It is placed in the genus Musca.

### Who named the housefly and when?

The housefly was named by Linnaeus, 1758.

### What family does the housefly belong to?

The housefly belongs to the family Muscidae, in the subfamily Muscinae and the tribe Muscini.

### What are other names for the housefly?

Other English names for the housefly are House fly, House-fly, Indoor house fly and Common house fly.

### What class and phylum is the housefly in?

The housefly is in the class Insecta and the phylum Arthropoda, within the kingdom Animalia.

### Is the housefly an invasive species?

In some places. The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species flags the housefly as invasive in 1 country: Canary Islands. It lists it as introduced in 6 in all.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS)](https://griis.org/), CC BY 4.0, 2026-11-13. Pagad, S., Genovesi, P., Carnevali, L., Schigel, D. & McGeoch, M.A. (2018) Introducing the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. Scientific Data 5: 170202. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.202. Country checklists published through GBIF by the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group.
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Housefly (Musca domestica). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/housefly