blowfly

(blō′flī″)

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Any of the flies belonging to the family Calliphoridae. Most blowflies are scavengers. Their maggots (larvae) live in decaying flesh or meat, but occasionally they may live in decaying or suppurating tissue. One species, the screw-worm fly, Callitroga hominivorax, attacks living tissue, laying its eggs in the nostrils or open wounds of its domestic animal or human host, giving rise to myiasis.
SYN: SEE: green bottlefly
SEE: Calliphora vomitoria; SEE: myiasis

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