THE INSECTLIBRARY FIELD GUIDES

Bot FlyIdentification, facts & practical guidance

Bot flies are Oestridae: their larvae develop in mammal hosts. The host and the part of the body affected depend on the fly species.

Compiled by the InsectLibrary Team · Updated 2026-09-30 · Editorial policy

Identification and lookalikes

Cuterebra fontinella - Mouse Bot Flyno rights reserved. https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/402888285

Cuterebra abdominalis - Cuterebra abdominalisContributed by v belov; Additional contributions by Vox Sciurorum

Adults may resemble bees, but an adult-fly photograph cannot diagnose a larva in a person or animal. Larval appearance, host and geographic exposure all matter.

Why species and host matter

Rodent bots, horse bots and other bot flies have different life cycles. It is incorrect to apply one species’ route of infection or host range to the entire family.

What to do next

For a suspected infestation in a person, seek medical assessment. For a pet or livestock animal, contact a veterinarian. Do not attempt to squeeze or cut out a suspected larva based on an online identification.

Bot Fly: species profiles

Explore 34 species profiles covered by this guide, with recorded names and available photos.

Mouse Bot Fly

Cuterebra fontinella

no rights reserved

Cephenemyia stimulator

Cuterebra abdominalis

Sheep Nasal Bot Fly

Oestrus ovis

Squirrel Bot Fly

Cuterebra emasculator

Rabbit Bot Fly

Cuterebra buccata

Woodrat Bot Fly

Cuterebra americana

Deer Warble Fly

Hypoderma diana

Cephenemyia ulrichii

Reindeer Grub

Hypoderma tarandi

Cuterebra lepivora

Cephenemyia phobifer

Showing 12 of 34 species. Browse all in Diptera →

Sources and further reading

mdc.mo.gov - bot flieshttps://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/bot-flies

References support the subject discussed here; they do not certify every imported directory record. Regional sources describe their own locations. Read our source and correction policy.