This article is about the larva of a fly. For other uses, see Maggot (disambiguation)

A maggot is a term for the the larval stage of the fly life cycle, famous for eating decomposing flesh.

Description

Maggots are generally 4 to 12 mm in length depending on their stage of growth. Most maggots range from an off-white color to a light brown, though some can be a yellow or reddish color. Maggots have one pair of tiny hook-like parts to aid in feeding and have no legs.

Life Cycle

The fly life cycle is composed of four stages: egg, larva (commonly known as a maggot), pupa, adult. The eggs are laid in decaying flesh, animal dung, manure, or pools of stagnant water - whatever has ample food for the larva, generally in a moist area. After 8-20 hours, the egg hatches and the fly enters the maggot stage. It begins to feed on whatever the egg was laid on, usually decomposing flesh. The maggot gorges itself with food until it is ready to enter the pupal stage, at which point the maggot travels away from the food source to a moist spot.

Uses

Some types of maggots found on corpses can be of great use to forensic scientists. By their stage of development, these maggots can be used to give an indication of the time elapsed since death, as well as the place the organism died. The size of the house fly maggot is 9.5-19.1mm (3/8 to 3/4 inch). At the height of the summer season, a generation of flies (egg to adult) may be produced in 12-14 days.

Maggot identification uses a classification called "Instar" stages. An instar I is about 2-5 mm long; instar II 6-14 mm; instar III 15-20 mm. These measure about 2-3 days, 3-4 days, and 4-6 days (for average house flies or bottle flies) since the eggs were laid. By use of this data, plus other signs, the approximate time since death can be estimated by forensic scientists.

Various maggots cause damage in agricultural crop production, including root maggots in rapeseed and midge maggots in wheat. Some maggots are leaf miners.

Maggots are bred commercially, as a popular bait in angling, and a food for carnivourous pets such as reptiles or birds. Due to the increasing popularity of maggots, a maggot vending machine has been installed in the English county town of Northampton.

Problems

As with fleas and ticks, maggots can be a threat to household pets. Flies reproduce rapidly in the summer months and maggots can come in large numbers, creating a maggot infestation and a high risk of myiasis in pets. Despite the fact that maggots only eat dead tissue, they can be painful and present a serious risk to pets or any other animals. Although maggots may be considered unsightly alone, the problem is intensified when the maggots turn into flies and start the cycle over again. Professionals can remove maggots or many over the counter bug sprays can be used to deter flies and maggots.

External links

• Maggot Therapy Project web site at the University of California, Irvine, list of maggot therapy practitioners
• http://www.monarchlabs.com/ suppliers of Medical Maggots™ (disinfected Phaenicia sericata larvae), picture of Medical Maggots™ vial
• http://www.bterfoundation.org/ BioTherapeutics Education and Research Foundation

Made | Belatung | Made (larf)