''Cordylobia'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

flies Flies are insects of the Order (biology), order Diptera, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwin ...

from the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Calliphoridae The Calliphoridae (commonly known as blowflies, blow flies, blow-flies, carrion flies, bluebottles, or greenbottles) are a family of insects in the order Diptera, with almost 1,900 known species. The maggot larvae, often used as fishing bait, ...

. The

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of ''Cordylobia'' are

parasitic Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The ent ...

mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

s, especially

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...

s. Two species, '' C. anthropophaga'' (the tumbu fly) and '' C. rodhaini'' (Lund's fly), also are known as parasites of humans. The adult flies feed on rotting fruits, vegetables, and animal

faeces Feces (also known as faeces American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, or fæces; : faex) are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the ...

, and are most abundant in the wet season. Like many tropical insects, they are most active in the morning and evening. ''Cordylobia'' species are largely confined to

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

, though they have been recorded elsewhere when transported by human travellers.

Species

The genus consists of four species:Rognes, K. (2011). A review of the monophyly and composition of the Bengaliinae with the description of a new genus and species, and new evidence for the presence of Melanomyinae in the Afrotropical Region (Diptera, Calliphoridae). Zootaxa, 2964(1), 1–60. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2964.1.1 *''

Cordylobia anthropophaga ''Cordylobia anthropophaga'', the mango fly, tumbu fly, tumba fly, putzi fly, or skin maggot fly, is a species of blow-fly common in East and Central Africa. It is a parasite of large mammals (including humans) during its larval stage. ''C. anth ...

'' ( Blanchard, 1872) - tumbu fly *'' Cordylobia rodhaini'' Gedoelst, 1910 (=''ebadiana'') - Lund's fly *'' Cordylobia roubaudi'' Villeneuve, 1929 *'' Cordylobia ruandae'' Fain, 1953 *''Pachychoeromyia praegrandis'' Austen, 1910 was originally described as belonging to ''Cordylobia'', but is now placed in the monotypic genus '' Pachychoeromyia'' Villeneuve, 1920.

References

Calliphoridae Parasitic flies Parasitic arthropods of mammals Insects of Africa Oestroidea genera {{Parasite-insect-stub