BIG fly...ID

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 4, 2005
Messages
8,982
I couldn't decide if this was a fly or a bumblebee for several seconds but after watching it, I could tell it was a fly. It was walking around on a porch screen at this cheap, tiny house I bought around Houston tx out in the boonies. I've never seen one of these, it obviously had a hitchhiker that probably didn't like the buzzing it was making that was almost painful to my fingers so the pseudo climbed off the fly onto my thumb. I didn't notice until I looked at the pic. So what kind of fly is this? There is a ranch next door with cattle, I have a hunch it has something to do with it.




 

Salmonsaladsandwich

Arachnolord
Joined
Jul 28, 2016
Messages
633
That's a Cuterebra botfly, a parasite of rodents and other animals (and very rarely humans.) They have enormous, dark- colored larvae that embed themselves in their host's skin. (Be prepared for some pretty grotesque pictures if you google the genus.)

I've seen a slightly different species twice, both times near the entrances of rodent burrows.
 

Danalemp1216

Arachnosquire
Joined
Oct 12, 2015
Messages
57
Nice one! I would love to pin that. I raised two that came home with me from Belize, but the human botfly adult is not as impressive.
 

The Snark

Dumpster Fire of the Gods
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
11,044
Do these infest cattle too?
Yup. And horses, and I'd guess just about any other mammal that holds still long enough. Little barstards like to get in between the leg and the barrel where they won't be disturbed and often, unseen. All of a sudden the horse goes nuts to a cinch strap and there's a big old ulcer. And you get to dig out the larvae while in close range of those hooves. :mad:
 
Last edited:

Salmonsaladsandwich

Arachnolord
Joined
Jul 28, 2016
Messages
633
Yup. And horses, and I'd guess just about any other mammal that holds still long enough. Little barstards like to get in between the leg and the barrel where they won't be disturbed and often, unseen. All of a sudden the horse goes nuts to a cinch strap and there's a big old ulcer. And you get to dig out the larvae while in close range of those hooves. :mad:
That's probably a different genus such as Hypoderma. Cuterebra infest mainly smaller mammals and only rarely attack larger hosts like humans by accident. They also don't lay eggs directly on their host, they lay them in grass near areas of rodent activity and the freshly hatched larvae cling to their host like ticks.
 

Stardisk

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 4, 2018
Messages
18
Pseudoscorpions are funny as hell, many time they grab another insect (a flying one has the preference) with 1 claw and travel huge distances like that. Because it is very small,
it has to be smart :D
 
Top