A blowfly (Chrysomya bezziana), the Old World counterpart to the New World screwworm, whose larvae feed on the living tissue of livestock and other warm-blooded animals through open wounds across sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and South and Southeast Asia, causing severe and sometimes fatal wound infestations known as myiasis. Unlike the New World species, no region-wide eradication program using sterile insect release has yet succeeded against it, and it remains a significant cause of livestock losses and a standing biosecurity concern for countries, including Australia, that have so far kept it out.
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Sheep, Livestock The Old World screwworm fly is a major cause of traumatic myiasis in sheep across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Sources
1. Old World Screwworm (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationOpening definition paragraph
Chrysomya bezziana, also known as the Old World screwworm fly or screwworm, is an obligate parasite of mammals. Obligate parasitic flies require a host to complete their development. Named to honor the Italian entomologist Mario Bezzi, this fly is widely distributed in Asia, tropical Africa, India, and Papua New Guinea. The adult can be identified as metallic green or blue with a yellow face, and the larvae are smooth, lacking any obvious body processes except on the last segment.
lead description
Unlike the New World species, no region-wide eradication program using sterile insect release has yet succeeded against it, and it remains a significant cause of livestock losses and a standing biosecurity concern for countries, including Australia, that have so far kept it out.
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