[ID: Illustration of a pink tiger surrounded by rocks and plants. It’s body is displayed vertically and it has its paws on front as if getting ready to pounce. The tiger is framed by a decorated teal border. End ID]
Bee-mimic deer nose bot flies, genus Cephenemyia, Oestridae
Found in North America and Europe. As the name suggests, this species
attacks chiefly the nostrils and pharyngeal cavity of members of the deer family. Larvae hatch in the uterus of the female. She then seeks out a host, hovers near the face, and ejects the larvae near or into the nostrils of the host animal. A single host deer can have as many as 20 larvae at a time, usually attached to the base of the tongue in clusters. After they mature, the larvae are ejected by the host via the nose or mouth and pupate in soil. Adults have no functional mouthparts and do not feed.
