jeremy03's Favourites

This species is originally from Africa, the Mediterranean area, and the Middle East. It has been accidentally introduced into California and Florida. The adults are mimics of honey bees. Larvae are "rat-tailed maggots" (described by Perez-Banon et al., 2003). The "rat-tail" is actually a telescopic breathing tube that allows larvae to mature in stagnant, and often polluted, water (and other moist substrates lacking in oxygen). The tube allows them to "snorkel" at the surface to breathe. Also on the list of this fly's larval habitats, are rare cases of human intestinal myiasis — where larvae develop inside the human gut — that have been documented for this group. The breathing tubes of the maggots, in this case, would be located in close proximity to their host's anus to allow them to breathe.
See details of E. taeniops at: //www.eje.cz/pdfs/eje/2003/03/16.pdf