Human Botfly Larva

Natural Habitat

Found primarily in moist tropical lowland forests of Central and South America; the larva develops in the host's skin.

Diet & Feeding

The larva is an obligate parasite, feeding on the living tissue and fluids (exudate) of its mammal host within a subcutaneous lesion (warble).

Behavior Patterns

The adult fly glues its eggs onto blood-sucking insects like mosquitoes. When the secondary insect bites a host, the botfly eggs hatch and the larvae burrow into the host's skin. They remain there for 5-10 weeks, breathing through a small hole, before dropping out to pupate in the soil.

Risks & Benefits

Risks include physical pain, a sensation of movement under the skin, and potential secondary bacterial infections at the site of the lesion. There are no ecological benefits to the host; the parasite serves only as a link in its specific food chain.

Identified on: 3/22/2026