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806 COLLEGE ENTOMOLOGY
opening large; palpi very small. Eyes large; separated in both sexes. Arista
naked or plumose. Scutellum elongated. Wings and squamre large. Vein M
sharply bent. Macrochretre only slightly developed. Larvre robust, strongly
segmented maggots, remarkably large in some species; living under the skin of
living animals. Members of the genus Cuterebra Clark cause large tumor-like
swellings.
The most important species is the so-called human botfly, Dermatobia
homi1zis (Linn.) (= cyaniventris Macquart), of North and South America which
has a remarkable life history, The females oviposit on mosquitoes, other flies,
and even ticks and are thus transported to man. Upon hatching and because
of the warmth of the body of the host the young larvre leave the carrier when
the Jatter visits man and bore through the skin and into the muscular tissues,
where they become more or less localized. The full-grown larva is peculiar in
being somewhat globular, spiny, and with the posterior half attenuated and
tail-like. From 45 to 55 days are required for development and much pain is
caused (Curran, 1934; Lane, 1936). For the Americas, Curran lists the genera
Cuterebra Clark, infesting rabbits, other rodents, and large domestic animals;
Dermatobia Brauer; Pseudogametes Bischoff; and Rogenhojera Brauer. The family
is a very small one with probably less than 50 described species which appear
to be restricted to the New World.
Family CALLIPHORIDlE 1 Brauer 1889 (Cal'li-phor'i-dre, from the Greek
Ka"Ahos, beauty, + cPopew, to bear, wear, possess; in reference to the
beautiful metallic and iridescent colors). German, Schmeissfliegen. Blowflies,
Greenbottle Flies, Bluebottle Flies.
Medium-sized to large, 5-17 mm. long, somber black or dull gray or brilliant
metallic blue or green with gold, brass, and copper iridescences; active; wholly
terrestrial species; similar in form to the housefly; proboscis fleshy; body usually
pollinose, macrochretre poorly developed or absent on the dorsum; hypopleural
bristles present; arista strongly plumose throughout nearly the entire length.
Larvre typically muscoid, up to 17 mm. in length; fleshy nipple-like processes
on abdominal segments VIn to X; anterior spiracles with about 10 finger-like
processes; posterior spiracular plates nearly circular and with three nearly longitudinal
slits which converge slightly inwardly. Puparium with remnants of
larval spiracles but with only very small rod-like breathing tubes on the first
abdominal segment.
Although this family is a relatively small one from the viewpoint of numbers
of genera and species, it is an extremely large one in numbers of individuals
which are to be found over very large areas. From the veterinary and medical
standpoint the species are very important. The maggots probably cause as
much real pain and misery, especially to domestic animals, particularly sheep,
as any other group of parasites.
The most important genera are: Auchmeromyia Brauer and Bergenstamm,
Calliphora Robineau-Desvoidy, Cochliomyia Townsend, Chrysomya R--D.
: Cun-an includes this family in his family METOPIIDJE.