CUTEREBRA BOT FLIES (DIPTERA: OESTRIDAE) AND THEIR INDIGENOUS HOSTS AND POTENTIAL HOSTS IN FLORIDA

Typical mammal hosts (indigenous rodents and lagomorphs), geographic distributions and phenologies of the five species of Cuterebra bot flies occurring in Florida are described. This coverage includes a reevaluation of some previously reported host records and presentation of unpublished data on larval infestations and captures of adult Cuterebra in Florida. In addition, indigenous species of Florida rodents for which there appear to be no in-state reports of larval infestation are listed (both native species of lagomorphs in Florida are hosts of Cuterebra within the state). Many gaps in our knowledge of the biology of these flies in Florida are identified, but based on available information, it appears that Florida is not exceptional when compared with certain other areas of North America in Cuterebra species diversity or the species of native rodents that apparently are not used as larval hosts. The geographic affinities of the Florida Cuterebra are Nearctic. Four of the species (C. americana (Fabricius), C. buccata (Fabricius), C. emasculator Fitch and C. fontinella Clark) have broad ranges in North America, whereas C. cuniculi (Clark) appears to be restricted to southern Georgia and Florida.