1. Karla Bennett May 2012

2.  Kingdom: Animalia  Phylum: Arthropoda  Class: Insecta  Order: Diptera  Family: Calliphoridae  Genus: Cochliomyia  Species: Cochliomyia hominivorax

3.  It is called the “New World Screw-Worm Fly”  It is a parasitic fly whose larvae (maggots) feed on living tissue of warm-blooded animals. (Yes, it is a man-eating fly).  The infestation of a live vertebrate is called “myiasis”  There are 5 species of Cochliomyia but only 1 species of screw worm fly.  They are unusual because they prefer healthy tissues and not putrid tissues. MMM! FLESH!

4.  Range: Central and southern U.S. through mexico, Central America, Carribean Islands, and Northern South America.  U.S. and Mexico are using “sterile insect techniques”. Now the disease border is between Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.  The red color on the map shows the New World distribution.

6.  Definitive Host= Humans or any warm-blooded animal  Intermediate Host= None  Fly lays its eggs in a wound  24 hours later larvae emerge and feed and burrow their heads into the tissue.  Odor of wound attracts adult female to lay more eggs (3000 larvae/wound  5-7 days larvae mature and drop to the ground, burrow, and become “pupates”.  Adults (8-10mm) emerge in the morning in 1-3 days.  They mate within 1-3 days.  Females then seek out a host to lay her eggs on (laid in a shingle-like batch).

7.  Motion inside a wound  A wound becoming worse  Serosanguineous discharge and odor from the wound.  Larvae can be seen in the wound after 3 days (vertical orientation in the wound)  They burrow deeper if disturbed  Animals with it (specifically grazing animals) will lie down in the shade and show decrease in appetite and if milk producing will have decreased production.

8.  Identification of parasite under the microscope (can see distinctive larvae and eggs are laid in a particular pattern)  Cuticular hydrocarbon analysis  Analysis of mitochondrial DNA and random amplified DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) assays.  Larvae resemble a wood screw with a pointed head and blunt back end. They have brown spines that encircle the body.  Eggs are laid in a shingle-like array near the edge of the wound.

9.  Wounds can be surgically excised  The best treatment is the use of larvacide. The treatment is repeated until the wound heals  Larvae must be destroyed otherwise they can leave and become adults.

10.  Reduced and then eradicated by repeatedly releasing sterilized male flies so that the flies mate and only produce unfertilized eggs.

11.  What phylum?  What is the common name of the parasitic fly?  Who is the intermediate host?  How did the U.S. eradicate this fly?  What stage is the fly in when it burrows into the ground?  Why shouldn’t you itch the wound being affected by the larvae?  Why are these flies so unusual as compared with other flies? (hint: has to do with where they lay their eggs).

12.  http://www.fao.org/ag/aga/agap/frg/feedback/war/u4220b/u4220b 07.htm#geographical%20distribution%20of%20new%20and%20 old%20world%20screwworm%20flies http://www.fao.org/ag/aga/agap/frg/feedback/war/u4220b/u4220b 07.htm#geographical%20distribution%20of%20new%20and%20 old%20world%20screwworm%20flies  www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/screwworm_myiasis.pdf www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/screwworm_myiasis.pdf  Wikipedia (for picture only) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochliomyiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochliomyia  http://www.naiaonline.org/guest_editorials_and_commentary/page /suffering-to-end-suffering-the-heroic-effort-to-eradicate-the-north- america http://www.naiaonline.org/guest_editorials_and_commentary/page /suffering-to-end-suffering-the-heroic-effort-to-eradicate-the-north- america  http://www.kmle.co.kr/search.php?Search=Cochliomyia+hominivora x&SpecialSearch=HTMLWebHtdig&Page=3 http://www.kmle.co.kr/search.php?Search=Cochliomyia+hominivora x&SpecialSearch=HTMLWebHtdig&Page=3  http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/146978/enlarge http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/146978/enlarge  http://www.impactlab.net/2008/05/08/frightening-new-face-of-evil- the-screw-worm/ http://www.impactlab.net/2008/05/08/frightening-new-face-of-evil- the-screw-worm/