Flesh-eating Screwworms are creeping closer to a comeback in the United States

tomwt — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 16:27:42 +0000

Flesh-eating Screwworms are creeping closer to a comeback in the United States tomwt Fri, 12/19/2025 - 08:27 More CNAS in the Media Sarah Kuta | Smithsonian Magazine December 19, 2025

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE - Roughly 60 years ago, the United States eradicated the New World screwworm, an insect that feeds on living tissue. But now, the flesh-eating creature appears to be creeping closer to a comeback.

New World screwworm is the name given to the larval, or maggot, stage of the Cochliomyia hominivorax blowfly. Loosely translated from Latin, the insect’s scientific name means “maneater,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

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In California, researchers are taking steps to stop the parasite before it has a chance to re-establish itself stateside. With funding from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, scientists at the University of California, Riverside are spearheading a statewide monitoring program to keep an eye out for the bugs. To do that, they’re setting out traps filled with a stinky perfume designed to mimic the smell of rotting flesh—which many species of blowfly, including C. hominivorax, find irresistible.

They’re also talking with livestock handlers, veterinarians and entomologists, who are likely to be the first to encounter C. hominivorax if it does eventually return to the state.

“It hasn't been found in California yet, but it's within 70 miles of the Texas border,” says Amy Murillo, an entomologist at the university who is leading the project, in a statement. “We need to be prepared.”

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Californian researchers are preparing for the return of a parasitic flesh-eating maggot – that has been confirmed in humans

tomwt — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 23:19:15 +0000

Californian researchers are preparing for the return of a parasitic flesh-eating maggot – that has been confirmed in humans tomwt Thu, 12/18/2025 - 15:19 More CNAS in the Media Sophie Ellis | BBC Wildlife Magazine December 18, 2025

BBC WILDLIFE MAGAZINE - Researchers in California are preparing for the possible return of a parasitic flesh-eating fly which once decimated livestock.

The New World screwworm is the larval (or maggot) stage of a blowfly known as Cochliomyia hominivorax. While most blowflies are harmless and feed on decaying carcasses, the screwworm feeds on living tissue.

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Tackling screwworm
“It hasn’t been found in California yet, but it’s within 70 miles of the Texas border,” said Amy Murillo, an assistant professor of entomology at the University of California Riverside (UCR). “We need to be prepared.”

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