162 MISC. PUBLICATION 6 31, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



there may result in wound myiasis. Patton has recorded five cases 

 of wound myiasis in man and animals in which this fly was involved, 

 either alone or in association with Megaselia rufipes or Chrysomya 

 ~bezziana. It has also been reared from a sore on the foot of an Indian 

 in British Honduras and from scrapings from the skin of a Colombian 

 negro suffering from caraate. It is possible that many cases of 

 myiasis involving this species may have been overlooked because of 

 the small size of the larvae. 



Apparently authentic cases of intestinal myiasis have been at- 

 tributed to this species. A remarkable case is that of a European in 

 Burma who passed, at intervals of about 2 months for approximately 

 a year, newly hatched larvae, puparia, and at one time 8 to 12 adult 

 flies. The infestation was apparently caused by eating candied bael 

 fruit, but precautions had been taken to prevent reinfestation. Evi- 



Figure 97.— -Megaselia scalaris, adult female: J., Dorsal view; B, side view. 



dently the flies were maturing and even reproducing within the diges- 

 tive tract. Patton considers this a possibility on the strength of his 

 breeding experiments in which flies were reared to maturity and in- 

 duced to mate and reproduce in small, tightly corked vials that were 

 opened only when it was necessary to feed the larvae or remove dead 

 flies. 



In one case of ophthalmic myiasis living larvae were recovered from 

 a diseased cornea. Patton believes that such cases may be more fre- 

 quent than supposed, the small larvae being easily overlooked, and that 

 such infestations might result in severe injury if neglected. 



This species has been found repeatedly in human and animal excre- 

 ment. Fruits and stale meat, but also other contaminated food, in- 

 cluding milk, may produce the parasitism. 



MEGASELIA RUFIPES (Meigen) 



Recognition Characters.— Adult : The thorax is dark brown, often with a 

 reddish tinge, appearing black in dried specimens: the legs are light yellow; the 





