The members of this cosmopolitan genus are frequently known as common flesh flies.

These flies are generally well-sized and of a greyish color; like many of their relatives, the typical patterns are lengthwise darker stripes on the thorax and dark and light square dots on the abdomen.

As typical for this family, it is almost impossible to tell the species apart from their outward appearance, and many can only be reliably identified by microscopic examination of the males' genitalia.

[4] As the common name implies, their larvae typically feed on decaying meat.

Many species have adapted to humans, and while they are usually nuisance pests, some are medically significant vectors of pathogens and bacteria.