Sulfur Cosmos Plant - Cosmos Sulphureus - Common green bottle fly - Lucilia sericata

Cosmos sulphureus is a species of flowering plant in the sunflower family Asteraceae, also known as sulfur cosmos and yellow cosmos. It is native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, and naturalized in other parts of North and South America as well as in Europe, Asia, and Australia. This plant was declared invasive by the United States Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council in 1996. The flowers of all Cosmos attract birds and butterflies, including the monarch. This species of Cosmos is considered a half-hardy annual, although plants may re-appear via self-sowing for several years. Its foliage is opposite and pinnately divided. The plant height varies from 1–7 feet (30–210 cm). The original and its cultivars appear in shades of yellow, orange, and red. It is especially popular in Korea and Japan, where it is often seen in mass plantings along roadsides. The common green bottle fly (Lucilia sericata) is a blowfly found in most areas of the world and is the most well-known of the numerous green bottle fly species. Its body is 10–14 mm (0.39–0.55 in) in length – slightly larger than a house fly – and has brilliant, metallic, blue-green or golden coloration with black markings. A common green bottle fly (Lucilia sericata) visits the flower buds of the cosmos plant in the garden at Tehatta, West Bengal; India on 01/12/2024.