Tropical african latrine blowfly
Chrysomya putoria, also known as the tropical African latrine blowfly, is a fly species belonging to the blowfly family, Calliphoridae. C. putoria is native to Africa and has recently spread to the Americas. These flies pose significant health risks, especially due to their close association with human settlements. Adult flies can carry pathogens, while larvae may cause myiasis by growing and feeding on the flesh of domestic animals and humans. Other myiasis-causing flies in the same genus are C. bezziana and C. megacephala. C. putoria and other flies that feed on decomposing tissue are used as important tools in forensic entomology to establish the post-mortem interval, or the time elapsed since death.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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starts withThe adult body is 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) long, slightly larger than the average housefly, and metallic green, with an occasional tinge of metallic dark blue or bronze. The face of C. putoria is generally dark in color. Their wings are translucent, and the posterior edge of the abdomen is striped with black bands. While both sexes have black frons, the female has a much broader frons located between its widely-spaced eyes. This species has easily visible dusting on the upper side of its thorax, allowing it to be distinguished from many other closely related Calliphoridae species.
Studies on the effect of temperature changes on the development of these flies found that the optimal temperature for egg survivability is between 20 and 30 °C (68 and 86 °F), consistent with the flies' preference for tropical climates. C. putoria has a developmental threshold of ~13.42 °C (56.16 °F), which is relatively higher than C. chloropyga's threshold of ~10.91 °C (51.64 °F), supporting their differential adaptations to temperature.
C. putoria originates from the tropics of the Old World, specifically Africa. The fly is widely distributed across the central and southern regions of the African continent, and found in countries including Zambia, Ethiopia, and Madagascar. Within the past few decades, several Chrysomya species, including C. putoria, invaded South America. These flies may have been initially introduced into Brazil from Africa in the 1970s before spreading across the rest of the continent. This dispersal may be connected to human mobility through the use of transportation like airplanes and ships. C. putoria is now found in many South American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, and Peru. This spread of wild fly species may have also been facilitated by the fly's strong flying skills and synanthropy, known as the ability to benefit by closely associating with human habitats. As a tropical species, C. putoria prefers to inhabit warmer climates. In its native Old World habitat, this fly is generally found in areas with a temperature above 26.7 °C.
Similar to other blowfly species, C. putoria exhibit larval gregariousness. The aggregation of larvae in isolated, temporal patches of food demonstrates intraspecific and interspecific competition.
Adult C. putoria females lay eggs on feces, decaying flesh, and rotting food matter. As a result, the larvae feed and grow on these substrates.
If there is a scarcity of resources, C. putoria larvae may cannibalize one another after 24 hours. In addition, injured larvae leak hemolymph, which may induce cannibalistic tendencies in other larvae.
The synanthropy of these flies is especially concerning, as their preference for human settlements may contribute to a major health impact in developing countries. Since these flies often breed in latrines, they are especially dangerous pests in areas with low sanitation. The effect of these flies is further compounded by their high population density and capability of widespread dispersal. Breeding in the feces of domestic animals, especially poultry, can spread pathogens to humans. Furthermore, their attraction to breeding on human and dog feces can make them vectors of diarrheal pathogens. This is supported by PCR analysis showing C. putoria flies infected with E. coli, Salmonella, and Shigella. Myiasis can also occur if an adult female lays eggs inside the body of a living animal.
While chemical insecticides are commonly used to control synanthropic fly populations, there are potential adverse side-effects of these chemicals on the health of humans, animals, crops, and the environment. Efforts to target latrines may be effective at reducing the impact of these pests, since latrines are a major source of fly populations.
Chrysomya putoria larvae have potential use in maggot therapy since their removal of dead tissue in wounds can promote the growth of new tissue.
