CHRYSOMYIA 



587 



Genus. Chrysomyia, Rob. Desv. 



, 



Chrysomyia (Compsomyia) macellaria, Fabr. ; 

 Lucilia macellaria, Fabr. 



Syn. : Lite ilia hominivorax, Coq. ; Calliphora infesta, Phil. ; Calliphora 

 anthropophaga, Conil. 



A species distributed from the Argentine to the south of the United States 

 which deposits its ova on ulcers, in the aural meatus or in the nasal cavities of 

 persons who sleep in the open air. The larvae are yellowish white, 16 mm. long, are 

 armed with two strong mouth hooks, and provided with spinous rings (screw-worm) ; 

 they lie hid in the nasal and frontal sinuses, in the pharynx, larynx, etc.; they per- 

 forate the mucbus membranes, even cartilage, migrate into the eyes, the cranial 

 cavity, middle ear, and cause severe disturbances ; after the mature stage, in which 

 the larvae leave the host to enter the pupal state, these symptoms often spontaneously 



FIG. 408. The screw-worm fly (Chrysomyia macellaria}. 



abate after a lapse of eight days, leaving behind greater or less cicatrices, and con- 

 sequently also defects in function of the organs attacked. Very often, however,, 

 sepsis sets in, usually with a fatal termination. 



(Coquerel in: Arch. gen. denied., 1858 (5), p. 513; 1859, xiii, p. 685; Ann. Soc. enl. 

 France, 1858 (3), vi, p. 171 ; 1859, vii, p. 234. Weber in : Rec. de mem. de mid. milit., 1867 

 (3), xviii, p. 159. Francius, A., in: Arch. f. path. Anat., 1868, xliii, p. 98. Conil in : 

 Bol. Acad. nac. dene. Cordoba, 1881, iii, p. 296. Humbert. Fr., in : Proc. U.S. Nat.- Mies.,. 

 1883, vi, p. 103; Amer. Nat., 1884, xviii, p. 540. Lindsay in : Journ. Trap. Med., 1902, 

 v, p. 220, and other authors.) 



[This species is known as the screw-worm fly. It attacks animals as well as. 

 man, especially laying its eggs on wounds formed by barbed wire. It may also be 

 found on dead flesh. Dr. St. George Gray sent me specimens from St. Lucia, from 

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