| Cochliomyia | A genus of fleshflies (family Calliphoridae) whose larvae develop in decaying flesh or carrion or in wounds or sores. Cochliomyia americana, incorrect name for Cochliomyia hominivorax. Cochliomyia hominivorax, the screw-worm fly, a species that is a serious pest of livestock from Mexico to Argentina and is the primary cause of myiasis in the western hemisphere; attracted by fresh blood, it deposits eggs on wounds, tick bites, or intact moist areas of the body, and the larvae invade living tissues, causing severe myiasis and often death; it is known to attack man, especially in the nose, although wounds, eyes, and other body openings have also been attacked. Cochliomyia macellaria, the secondary screw-worm fly, a species attracted to decaying flesh (formerly used as surgical maggots); primarily a scavenger, but not implicated in primary myiasis as is Cochliomyia hominivorax, though it may be a secondary wound invader in domestic animals in the Americas. (05 Mar 2000) |
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