The genus Sarcophaga is widely distributed throughout the world and species are very difficult to identify. The flesh flies are medium-sized to large and thick-set, of a light or dark grey color. Adults have three dark stripes along the top of the thorax ans squared patterns of dark and grey patches on the top of the abdomen. They develop in carrion, excrement and any kind of decomposing organic matter.
The genus is larviparous and a number of species have been associated with myiasis, usually as tertiary flies or as accidental agents, but some species of Sarcophaga are facultative agents of myiasis.