| Chrysomya bezziana | |
|---|---|
| |
| Chrysomya bezziana adult and larva | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Calliphoridae |
| Genus: | Chrysomya |
| Species: | C. bezziana
|
| Binomial name | |
| Chrysomya bezziana (Villeneuve, 1914)
| |
Chrysomya bezziana, also known as the Old World screwworm fly or screwworm, is an obligate parasite of mammals. Obligate parasitic flies require a host to complete their development. Named to honor the Italian entomologist Mario Bezzi, this fly is widely distributed in Asia, tropical Africa, India, and Papua New Guinea. The adult can be identified as metallic green or blue with a yellow face and the larvae are smooth, lacking any obvious body processes except on the last segment.
The fly feeds on decaying organic matter, while the fly larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded mammals as opposed to necrotic tissue that many other fly larvae feed on. Since the larvae can cause permanent tissue damage, C. bezziana has led to much public concern. Management procedures include both prevention of colonization of the fly and treatment of a current infestation.
Chrysomya bezziana belongs to the genus Chrysomya, which contains species like Chrysomya rufifacies and Chrysomya putoria. C. bezziana and other members of this genus can be used to estimate the post-mortem interval in forensic entomology.