﻿THE CATTLE GRUBS OH OX WARBLES 19 



after removal was positively identified by Riley as H. lineatunn in 

 the next to the last stage. 



Schoyen {89) has presented a resume of a large number of cases 

 which have been encountered in Norway and elsewhere. He states 

 that he has examined many of these grubs and that they are without 

 doubt H. hovis. He further says : 



As a rule they have accomplished long rambliugs under the skin, always 

 in an upward direction previous to their appearance through an open tumor 

 on the upper part of the body, head, neck, shoulders, etc. All of them have 

 lived in this manner for months and came out in the course of the winter 

 months, but were always still too young to go through their transformation. 

 It is esijecially with persons who look after or take care of cattle in the 

 summer months that such grubs are to be found during the winter. 



It is of course conceivable that these larvae in their migrations may 

 cause some rather serious symptoms, which in many cases may not 

 be attributed to the larvae at all. 



COMMON NAMES AND POPULAR IDEAS 



It is not surprising, considering the wide distribution and common 

 occurrence of Hypoderma on cattle, that the insects should have 

 come to the attention of nearlj^^ all of the cattle raisers of the country. 

 As with most other insect pests, various colloquial names have been 

 applied to them. In the Southern States the larvse are commonly 

 spoken of as " wolves " and sometimes as " grubs." In the North 

 and West the term " warbles " is commonly used for the larvse 

 although they are frequently spoken of as " grubs." By butchers, 

 hide dealers, and tanners throughout the country, the name " grub " 

 is applied very generally to the larvse of both species and the infested 

 hides are spoken of as " grubby." Certain individuals sometimes 

 also speak of the larvse as " worms " and others call them " cattle 

 bots " or simpl}'- " bots." The term " heel fly " is commonly applied 

 to the adult insect throughout the United States, but in most cases 

 the stockmen do not connect the heel fly with the grub in the backs 

 of the cattle. The term " heel fly " is very appropriate, especially for 

 Hypoderma Imeatum.^ as it fittingly describes the habit of the fly in 

 attacking the lower extremities, particularly the heels, during ovi- 

 po.sition. " "Warble fly " is applied to the adult insect by some stock- 

 men, especially those from England, and " gad fly " is used for it 

 in some localities. The use of the last name is not desirable, as it 

 is more frequently applied to the horse flies (Tabanidae). 



In Great Britain the term " ox warble " is used for both species. 

 In Germany the words "Dasselfliege " and " Dasselbeule " are 

 applied specifically to the fly and the larvoa in the back of the host, 

 while "Dasselplage " refers to infestations. In France the word 

 " varron " is used. 



There is need for conmion names to designate the two species. 

 The propriety of adopting the name "ox warble" for the two forms 

 might be open to question, on the ground that the use of the word 

 "ox" as applied to cattle is almo.st obsolete in this country and 

 that the word "warble" is more aptly applied to the swelling pro- 

 duced by the larva m Httu and is essentially an English term. 



Owing to the aptness and general use of the term "cattle grub," 

 the adoption of this name foi- the larval stages ol tlie two s|)ecies is 

 advi.sed. Since II. hovU is not to be found in the South but thrives 



