Australian bush fly (Musca vetustissima). Photo © imisstony
Australia is the only continent on which a faeces-dependent fly is an abundant nuisance in areas remote from human camps or livestock.
A long-standing mystery is which animal provided the bulk of faeces for the bush fly.
We suggest that it was the emu that produced faeces nutrient-rich and moist enough to be attractive to this fly but too fibrous to be attractive to dung beetles.
Emu faeces (Eremophila species). Photo © Fiona
Robin and the Honey Badger, 22 March 2016