The minute larva is very marked; as figured by Newstead it has two long chætæ projecting upwards, in some stages branched, in others simple, and on the segments a few blunt spine-like processes. The pupæ are found in similar situations. The ova are very minute, elongate, translucent white, and covered with a thin coating of viscous matter when first laid; soon after they become dark brown, shiny, with long black wavy lines. Newstead found the incubation period in Malta to last for about nine days in P. papatacii. Five species are known in Europe, five in Africa,[406] two in North America, and eight are described by Annandale[407] in the Oriental region. Lutz and Neiva have described three species from Brazil[408] (P. longipalpis, intermedius and squamiventris).
Brachycera (Flies).
The antennæ as a rule have three segments, and are usually shorter than the head. The first segment of the antennæ is frequently very small, and the third one is generally the largest, and sometimes possesses a terminal annulated bristle. The palpi have from one to three segments; the mandibles are covered by the labium. The three thoracic rings are coalesced; wings are almost always present, the posterior ones being rudimentary and covered with a little scale. From the ova legless maggots are hatched, which as a rule have not a distinct head, but occasionally possess two claw-like hooklets. These maggots live in decomposing organic matter; they rarely live in water and some of them are parasitic. They either become barrel-shaped pupæ within the last larval integument or, after casting it, are transformed into naked pupæ. The larvæ of numerous Brachycera have been observed in man, some in ulcers or on mucous membranes, others in the skin or in the intestine, etc. In many cases the report only mentions the presence of the larvæ of flies; in other cases the species has been determined; whilst in still other cases the corresponding adult creature is unknown. We must therefore confine ourselves to describing the most common varieties.
Family. Phoridæ.
These flies belong to the same division of Diptera, the Aschiza, as the family Syrphidæ or “hover flies.” They are all small insects with marked antennæ and wings; the former have the third segment globular and enlarged, and thus hiding the first two; the wings are short and broad, the venation shows two short, thick, long veins with four thin ones running out from them. The larvæ normally live in decaying animal and vegetable matter, but one species, Aphiochæta ferruginea, Brun., has been found as an intestinal parasite of man.
Aphiochæta ferruginea, Brun.
This small fly belonging to this family is of an orange-ochreous colour, the upper part of the thorax tawny, and with dark bands on the abdomen, legs pale yellow, the hind femora tipped with dark brown. It measures only 2 to 3 mm. in length. This insect is shown by Austen to be widely distributed in the tropics, being found in India, Burma, West Africa, and Central America. The larvæ breed in decaying animal matter, such as putrid meat, decomposing shell-fish, etc.
Heusner bred out sixty-three flies from larvæ taken from an Indian’s foot.
Baker (Proc. Burma Branch Brit. Med. Assoc., 1891, p. 11–16) found that the maggots of this fly were passed per anum by a European at intervals during a period of ten months. Baker found that the larvæ fed on human fæces; from the egg stage to the deposition of eggs from the resultant brood of flies occupied twenty-two days. He concludes that they are capable of propagating, and do so while living within the human intestines. He also records the larvæ in two girls.