Blow Fly: Blood-Feeding Parasite

Blow FLY (or Cuterebra) is a parasite that lives in the lungs of a cat, feeding on its blood. It is most common in cats, but it can also be found in dogs, rabbits and other animals. The blow fly lays eggs on the fur of an animal.

When the eggs hatch, the larvae crawl into the skin through a wound or scratch and begin to grow. The larvae will eventually develop into adult flies which leave their host to lay more eggs.

The adult Blow Fly has a lifespan of about two weeks. After mating, females lay between 500 and 1,000 eggs at one time on their host’s hair coat. These eggs hatch into larvae within 48 hours and burrow beneath the skin where they remain for 2-3 weeks before emerging as adults.

Potential Irritation and Prevention in Florida

The larvae cause no harm to humans or animals; however they may cause irritation when they emerge from beneath the skin during molting stages of development or if an individual scratches excessively at an area where a larva may be present.

Blow FLY are relatively common throughout Florida including Hialeah , Miami , Homestead , Fort Lauderdale , Hollywood , Pembroke Pines , Plantation , Weston , Davie and all surrounding areas.

Conclusion:

Blow FLY adults are gray-brown flies with dark gray wings and abdomens. The larvae are worm-like creatures that grow to about 1 inch long when fully grown. They are white with a brown head and two small eyespots on their backsides; these spots allow them to blend in with their surroundings as they move around looking for a place to pupate (which occurs about 2 weeks after hatching).

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