Dermatobia hominis
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- Also called the human bot fly
- Larvae are important parasites of both humans and animals
- Specifically found in South America
Recognition
- Adult can grow up to 25mm in length
- Similar to Calliphora in appearance
- Blue-black
- Yellow-orange head and legs
- Larvae are distinctive as they taper towards the posterior end
Life cycle
- Eggs laid on blood sucking flies such as mosquitoes
- These hatch when the mosquito next lands on a warm blooded animal
- Larvae penetrate skin causing painful swellings
- Larvae emerge after 35-42 days and fall to ground to pupate
- 4 month life cycle
Pathogenesis
- In humans, the larvae are most often found in swellings on the head and limbs
- Larvae cause painful swellings and distress to cattle
- Larvae cause production losses
- Wounds caused by exiting larvae can increase the prevalence of attack by other myiasis flies