Botflies are unpleasant and rather large flying insects that are widespread throughout the world. Most of them are in the tropics and hot countries. Although they also live in Russia, Europe, and Asia. Are gadflies dangerous? And how. These insects cause harm to livestock and farming, reducing milk yield and livestock weight gain. They also lay eggs on the skin and fur of animals. At the same time, there are species that can choose humans for this purpose.
After birth, the gadfly larva is quite small. However, under skin In mammals, it grows very quickly and after a couple of weeks can reach a length of 20 mm.
Externally, the larva looks like a maggot. Only its body is pear-shaped with several transverse rows of spikes resembling hooks. She uses them to securely attach to the skin, hair or fur. The main food is blood.
How does it enter the animal or human body?
Many people mistakenly believe that this is the main route of penetration of the larva into the body of an animal or person. But most often it gets under the victim’s skin in another way:
For reference! Over the course of a year, cows lose from 80 to 200 liters of milk from each subcutaneous botfly affected by larvae (this is about 4-5% of the total annual milk yield). As for calves, they are on average 13-18 kg short of weight.
Consequences of gadfly larvae entering the human or animal body
- allergies;
- damage to blood vessels and bleeding;
- numbness and cramps;
- inflammatory processes;
- osteomyelitis, etc.
Infection with gadfly larvae does not occur without consequences in animals. The most unpleasant of them:
For reference! Gadfly larvae secrete a harmful and highly toxic substance, hypodermotoxin.
Diagnostics
The procedure for removing gadfly larvae itself will be most effective if you follow the action plan below:
Are gadfly larvae dangerous for pets?
At the same time, infection of dogs and cats occurs not only through contact with intermediary insects. These animals like to lie on the ground or in the sand, where gadflies also often lay their eggs. It turns out that a dog or cat, having run around, lies down to rest, which allows the larvae to get onto the body pet. Also, the most likely places of infection are areas with high vegetation and areas with a fairly large population of rodents.
How to protect yourself from gadfly larvae?
- avoiding places where there are large quantities;
- use of clothing that protects against bites of various insects;
- use of special repellents.
- treatment of body parts that have been bitten blood-sucking insects, disinfectants.
It would be a good idea to exclude visiting potentially dangerous countries where you can find many gadflies. These are countries in Africa, South and North America.
Today there are several dozen species of gadflies, many of which pose a danger to people and animals. Bodfly larvae in humans can cause disruptions in all systems of the body, and also cause considerable discomfort.
How do gadfly larvae appear in the human body?
Botflies are small flies that are usually brown or green in color. The life cycle of such an insect is short, an adult lives from 4 to 20 days, and during this period it does not require additional nutrition; the functioning of the body is carried out due to the nutrients accumulated in the larval stage.
How do subcutaneous gadfly larvae appear?
Most often, botfly larvae can be infected from cattle, so most cases of insect infestation occur in rural areas. This disease is called hypodermatosis, the cause of which is skin gadfly. Pests, entering the skin tissue, move throughout the body towards the head. Gradually, redness and blue swelling appear at the location of the foreign object. Along with external skin changes, dizziness, nausea, fever and muscle tone are observed.
Representatives of the family of flies - gadflies - have a hemispherical, well-developed head, with bare eyes, which in females are spread wider at the back of the head than in males; There are three simple eyes. The antennae are placed in a pit on the forehead, short, segmented, with bare or half-pinnate bristles; the female has a significantly larger segment 3 than the male.
The proboscis of the American group Cuterebridae is quite large, horny, geniculate, retracted into the mouth slit and is hardly noticeable from the outside, without tentacles. The body is large, wide, with a transverse seam on the back, the hind legs are often very elongated.
Dogs become infected when they come into contact with grass in nature that contains botfly larvae. The movement of the dog in relation to the grass stimulates the larva to move towards a moving object - towards the dog. The larva will then move around the dog's body until it finds an opening under the skin.
Infection with gadfly larvae is seasonal from summer to early autumn, during the period of activity of adult gadflies.
An infestation of Cuterebra botfly larvae may present as bumps above the surface of the skin, or the dog may show signs associated with the larvae moving through the tissue. Symptoms may include respiratory signs, neurological symptoms, ophthalmological (eye) and skin symptoms.
Respiratory symptoms:
- Cough.
- Fever.
- Hesitant breathing.
Neurological symptoms:
- Dizziness.
- Loss of coordination (movement in a circle).
- Paralysis.
- Blindness.
- Constant “lying down” position.
Ophthalmology symptoms:
- Damage caused by larvae in the eyeball.
Skin symptoms:
- The location of the larva under the skin (tubercle, lump, compaction) will be raised above the skin level and has a hole so that the larva can breathe.
Causes of infection with gadfly larvae in dogs
Treatment of botfly larvae infestation in dogs
If the larva is at the end of its migratory stage and has settled in a specific location on the body, such as under the skin, eye or nose, your veterinarian will be able to remove it safely.
It is dangerous because it bites almost imperceptibly, quickly depositing larvae under the skin, which immediately begin to develop, which leads to various inflammations. In general, an unpleasant situation. The worst thing is when they penetrate the eyes or head of a person, then complex surgery is required to remove them.
There are also deer, horse, sheep, gastric, nasopharyngeal and other gadflies. Each species chooses certain mammals for itself. In addition, some insects prefer to lay larvae on the back and sides of animals, others prefer the groin and inner side legs, and still others choose the nostrils, ears and lips of the unfortunate victims.
Botflies appear to be slightly smaller than horse flies. They have large compound eyes, a fluffy body and transparent wings. Unlike the latter, they do not drink blood and bite solely to lay eggs. Although not all types of gadflies resort to bites. For example, some females carefully attach eggs to the hairs of the victim, others may leave them on the grass in the hope that sooner or later the cattle will swallow them along with their food.
And there are completely original subjects - you don’t even need to look for animals. They simply fly to where there are a lot of mosquitoes, find a suitable specimen, embrace it in a friendly hug and carefully leave their egg on its back. A mosquito (or, more precisely, a mosquito) serves as an excellent vehicle that will deliver the larva to its destination on time.
This is where the fun begins. Or rather, the most unpleasant thing for livestock. As a rule, the larva emerges from the egg within 3-7 days. Moreover, hot weather of about 30-32 degrees is considered optimal for its development. Without wasting any time, the insidious invader penetrates the body of the poor fellow-owner. It is not known exactly where it goes, but the animal suffers greatly from this and loses weight.
For further growth, the larvae need oxygen, so they form fistulous openings in the skin. Through them they then get out, where they fall to the ground and pupate. Adults emerge from the pupae literally in 2-3 seconds, and after a minute they can already fly and mate. In total, the larval development cycle lasts about a year.
Adult gadflies have no need to eat: they live off the nutrients that they accumulated in the larval stage. True, such a reserve does not last long - according to various sources, adults live from three to twenty days. It is curious that their lifespan depends on the weather: if the days are clear and hot, the gadflies quickly find their mate and lay eggs. If the days are stormy, they can sit in the grass for several days, waiting for the right moment. At the same time, all processes in their body slow down, which can significantly reduce energy costs.
Female gadflies are very fertile - one such lady can lay up to five thousand eggs. Of course, every expectant mother tries to protect her offspring and “distribute” the children to different “kindergartens”, because if they are all placed on one animal, it may simply die, and this cannot be allowed.
Interestingly, the unfortunate victims always feel the approach of gadflies. They begin to shake their heads, beat their tails, or try to get away from dangerous place. How they differentiate them from simple flies remains a mystery.
The gadfly is an insect that closely resembles a fly. He has a short mustache and large expressive eyes that sparkle in the sun. different colors. The length of the body of the gadfly reaches twenty millimeters. The body is covered with villi - short, hard, dense and often brightly colored. The insect's head is shaped like a hemisphere. Well developed. The wings are light, transparent, dotted with small veins and wrinkles - just like those of a fly. The hind legs are slightly longer than the front legs.
The insect gadfly, whose description is so similar to that of an ordinary fly, is nevertheless very different from this annoying human neighbor. Both the size of the body and the amount of harm caused.
Life cycle of a gadfly
The gadfly is an insect that has a closed chain of transformations. In the full cycle of its development (with rare exceptions), it passes from the egg to the adult state (imago), passing between the forms of first a larva, then a pupa. It takes the gadfly about a year to do everything.
At the first stage life cycle The female insect lays eggs. Ideally - on the body (or inside the body) of the animal; as a last resort - somewhere in the grass (so that the animal can swallow them along with food).
Once in favorable conditions, the eggs become larvae, which quietly mature in the warmth until the right moment, and then fall out of the animal’s body along with feces or exit through the skin.
After some time, the larva turns into a pupa, which, in turn, turns into an adult.
An interesting point: a mature insect does not need nutrition! It has enough reserves accumulated by the larva during its “residence” in the animal’s body, and then in the “hypostasis” of the pupa. True, the adult does not live long - only three to four days. Her main task is to have time to give birth to offspring, and at this point the “mission” is considered completed.
This is the “meaning of life” of the gadfly, an insect whose photo can be seen in this article.
Kinds
Depending on which part of the body their larvae live in, gadflies are divided into types. Below are the most common ones.
The gadfly is an insect that is quite common in Russia. About six species of this animal tormentor live on its territory.
Where and when should I expect to meet a gadfly?
The duration of the period of activity of gadflies depends on the climatic zone to which a particular area belongs. The longer the summer, the longer this period. In Russia it takes about three months - from June to August. When the botfly insect disappears, it’s time to prepare for the cold weather.
The gadfly is most active when dry, hot weather. In the open sun it turns into a real monster, but it does not like cloudy moisture.
The usual habitat of the gadfly is the banks of natural reservoirs, as well as forests and steppes. Often these insects choose certain areas where they accumulate a large number of females Naturally, males also fly here. Typically, such areas are areas where livestock are constantly walking or swampy areas. A person should stay away from them.
Gadfly harm
The gadfly poses the greatest danger, of course, to livestock. Once inside the animal's body, insect eggs very soon turn into voracious larvae, which simply eat up their “home” from the inside.
They absorb in exorbitant quantities nutrients, stocking them for future use, cause diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and sometimes the death of the animal. In addition, as they grow and strive to “exit,” the larvae of some species of gadflies gnaw holes in the skin. Thus causing pain and making the skin of livestock unusable on the farm.
Scientists have long proven that cows exposed to constant attacks by gadflies produce significantly less milk than their luckier “comrades.” Annoying insects They irritate animals, cause them tension and do not allow them to eat normally - hence the low milk yield.
And gadfly bites can cause harm not only to cows, but also to humans.
Symptoms and consequences of a gadfly bite
When going out into nature on a hot summer day, you should remember that a dangerous gadfly may be waiting there. An insect bite on a person is not so subtle.
Usually, when “planning” to attack and approaching the intended victim, this fly buzzes very loudly and obnoxiously. So, in principle, there is a chance to brush it aside. But if the bite does occur, the following symptoms indicate it:
- a bright red spot on the skin with a diameter of one millimeter or slightly larger;
- severe burning, itching at the site of the bite and around it;
- bleeding that cannot be stopped for a long time;
- large swelling that forms some time after the bite (especially often on the face in the eye area);
- deterioration of health, symptoms of intoxication in the case of numerous bites (it happens that gadflies attack in a group).
Often, after a bite, a person develops an allergy or dermatitis. And even more often, the swelling grows to enormous sizes and does not go away for several days. To prevent this from happening, you need to take appropriate measures immediately after unsuccessful contact with an insect.
First aid for a gadfly bite
If all the symptoms of a gadfly bite are present, the recommended algorithm of action is as follows:
- Rinse the affected area thoroughly with water (or soap);
- to remove dirt, you need to drop a little hydrogen peroxide into the bite site or lubricate the area with brilliant green;
- if the bite caused severe pain, you can take a painkiller;
- Without medicines the use of natural “helpers” is allowed, for example, juice squeezed from a chamomile stem will effectively relieve pain and act as an antiseptic;
- if the bite site begins to swell, it is advisable to take antihistamines to prevent the spread of infection;
- the bite site should be monitored for at least a day;
- It wouldn’t hurt to go to the doctor, because gadflies often become carriers dangerous infections, so it's better to be safe.
How to avoid meeting a gadfly and how to defeat it
Nothing is impossible in this world, and you can meet a gadfly even in the urban “jungle”. But the risk increases tenfold for those who travel into nature. Experienced travelers know how insidious the gadfly (insect) is. They also know how to fight it and protect themselves at least to a minimum. Here's what every tourist should take care of:
- about tents equipped with mosquito nets;
- about clothes of neutral colors - gadflies love bright colors;
- about wormwood, tansy, yarrow, which you can carry with you and lay around the tent;
- about chamomile, the branches of which can be thrown into the fire - such aromatic smoke will scare away gadflies.
And it is very important to remember: the gadfly is an insect (a photo of which can be seen in this article) is quite dangerous! Prevention measures should not be neglected. And if you happen to become a victim of an aggressor, then you should treat the bite very carefully. Who knows?! IN in this case The old Russian proverb will come in handy: “God protects those who are careful.”