The Biology and Control of the Fox Maggot, Wohlfahrtia opaca (Coq.)

Morphological and mitochondrial DNA characters for identification and phylogenetic analysis of the myiasis‐causing flesh flyWohlfahrtia magnificaand its relatives, with a description ofWohlfahrtia monegrosensissp. n. Wyatt & Hall

“…Hence, in North America, W. vigil has been recorded as an obligate, myiasis‐causing parasite of mink, fox, rabbit, cat, dog (Gassner & James, 1948; Strickland, 1949; Greve, 1968), ducklings (Wobeser et al , 1981), rodents (Morrison, 1937; Boonstra, 1976; Craine & Boonstra, 1986; Schorr & Davies, 2002) and humans, especially infants, in whom it typically causes a furuncular myiasis (Ford, 1936; Rich & Knowlton, 1937; O’Rourke, 1954; Haufe & Nelson, 1957; Stabler, 1961; Stabler et al , 1962; Dong, 1977; Eads, 1979). Both described forms of W. vigil in North America have been reported to cause myiasis, W. vigil in the east and W. opaca in the west (Gassner & James, 1948), but the majority of the cases reported above (12/16) were caused by the western form. In the Palaearctic region, W. vigil has only once been reported to cause myiasis in mammals (traumatic myiasis in a human infant; Grunwald et al , 1998), but the accuracy of this identification is unclear.…”

Cutaneous myiasis

“…6,56-58 W opaca is only found in western and southwestern North America. [59][60][61][62][63][64] In nearly all hosts, including humans, infestations occur only in the very young, because the larval mouth hooks typically are not strong enough to penetrate adult skin. 65 Most cases occur in June to September.…”

Myiasis by Wohlfahrtia opaca (Coq.): a cause of mortality of newly hatched wild ducklings

“…No reports were found of infection with this species in birds. The fly is larviparous and the larvae are considered to be obligatory parasites of warm-blooded vertebrates, although development may continue in the carcass after death of the host (Gassner and James 1948). First-instar larvae can penetrate the unbroken skin of young animals (Gassner and James 1948); in the ducklings the larvae appeared to have gained entrance through the umbilicus.…”

“…The fly is larviparous and the larvae are considered to be obligatory parasites of warm-blooded vertebrates, although development may continue in the carcass after death of the host (Gassner and James 1948). First-instar larvae can penetrate the unbroken skin of young animals (Gassner and James 1948); in the ducklings the larvae appeared to have gained entrance through the umbilicus. Ford (1933) found that females of a closely related species, W. vigil (Walker), were attracted to the eyes, perhaps due to moist exudate in this area; females of W. opaca may deposit their larvae near the umbilicus of recentlyhatched ducklings, or through an opening in an egg, for the same reason.…”