BIONOMICS OF CUTEREBRA-AUSTENI (DIPTERA, CUTEREBRIDAE) AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH NEOTOMA-ALBIGULA (RODENTIA, CRICETIDAE) IN THE SOUTHWESTERNUNITED-STATES

Cuterebra austeni Sabrosky causes cutaneous myiasis in white-throated woodrats, Neotoma albigula, in the southwestern United States. In cent ral and southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, this species is bivoltine. Adult flies are active at hilltop aggregation sites from ea rly spring through mid-May and again to a lesser extent in the fall mo nths. Eggs produced from laboratory matings of adult flies hatched in response to warm breath (34-36 degrees C) 6-8 d after oviposition. Ovi position takes place around burrow entrances and near the bases of Opu ntia cacti. In the wild, myiasis occurs in woodrats primarily during t he spring months, with a small second peak during the fall. Larvae dev elop in cutaneous warbles in the sternal and the ventral cervical area of N. albigula and complete development in 33 d. Woodrats do not appe ar to be affected seriously by the presence of 1-5 larvae. Morphologic al changes in larvae and pupae are described through to adult eclosion .