From: dwood@mecc.com (David L. Wood)
Newsgroups: alt.binaries.pictures.animals
Subject: Dhominis.gif (1/2) aka The Human Bot Fly
Date: 27 Aug 1995 16:29:26 GMT

Dermatobia hominis from MAYAQUEST(R)

The genus Dermatobia contains only one species, D. hominis, the only species of bot fly that attacks humans (in addition to other primates). It is also known as the torsalo. In this species the fly's eggs are vectored by mosquitoes and muscoid flies; the female Dermatobia captures the mosquito and attaches its eggs to the body of it, then releases it. The eggs hatch either while the mosquito is feeding and the larvae may use the mosquito bite area as the entry point, or simply drop off the muscoid fly when it lands on the skin. They develop inside the subcutaneous layers, and after approximately 8 weeks they drop out to pupate for at least a week, typically in the soil. The adults are small gray flies resembling a blowfly.

This species is native to the New World tropics, though it is not abundant enough (nor harmful enough) to ever attain true pest status. Since the fly larvae can only survive the entire eight week development if the wound does not become infected, it is rare for patients to experience infections, unless they kill the larva without removing it completely (below). It is even possible that the fly larva may itself produce antibiotic secretions that help prevent infection while it is feeding.