Surf Wiki
Save to docs
general/calliphoridae

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Lucilia bufonivora

Species of fly

Lucilia bufonivora
Summary

Species of fly

Lucilia bufonivora is a member of the fly family Calliphoridae, which are commonly known as blow flies. L. bufonivora is commonly referred to as the toadfly. The adult flies will typically feed on pollen and nectar of flowers, while the larvae are parasitoids that feed mainly on the living flesh of a toad, leading to its death. Most frequently the fly attacks the common toad (Bufo bufo), though it has been found on other frog and toad species. The toadfly is common in north west Europe.

Description

The adult toadfly has large brown compound eyes, a bright metallic green thorax and abdomen clad with bristly black hairs, and a pair of membraneous, dark veined, translucent wings. The larvae are creamy white maggots, similar to those of other blow flies that are found on dead animals and rotting meat.

Parasitism

Common Toad ''[[Bufo bufo]]'' infected with larvae of ''Lucilia bufonivora''.
A Common Toad ''[[Bufo bufo]]'' infected with larvae of ''Lucilia bufonivora''. The nostrils of the toad have been destroyed by the larvae already.

The adult toadfly strategically lays its eggs near the nostrils of the common toad, displaying a preference for weakened or injured individuals. Upon hatching, the larvae delicately feed on the nostril tissue, gradually navigating into the intricate passages of the nasal cavities. As they mature, these voracious larvae exhibit an insatiable appetite, devouring not only the host's eyes but also its brain and other vital tissues. Alternatively, the eggs may be laid in wounds and eat the host's flesh.

Toad underwater with Larvae of lucillia bufonivora, the nostrils of the toad have already been destroyed by the larvae.

When the toad has died and the larvae have totally consumed its tissues and finished their development, they make their way into the soil and pupate. The larvae are sensitive to temperature and only thrive between 14 °C and 29 °C. If they are cooled below this range, they will stop feeding and attempt to leave the host and bury themselves shallowly in the soil to hibernate.

In a study in the Netherlands, it was found that the fly selectively targeted larger toads, with no juveniles and very few one-year-olds being affected. Overall, 8% of the toads examined were hosts to the toadfly larvae and would later have died, indicating that the activities of this parasite have a significant effect on the toad population.

References

References

  1. Garanin, VI. (1976). "Parasitism of larvae of the fly, ''Lucilia bufonivora'', Moniez, 1876, on ''Anura''". Parazitologiia.
  2. Séguy, E.. "Un parasite des batraciens, la lucilie bufonivore: ''Lucilia bufonivora''". Batraciens et Reptiles du Monde.
  3. Strijbosch, H.. (1980). "Mortality in a population of ''Bufo bufo'' resulting from the fly ''Lucilia bufonivora''". Oecologia.
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

calliphoridae diptera-of-europe insects-described-in-1876
Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Lucilia bufonivora — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report