The parasite whose eggs are cemented to the hair of horses is which species?

The parasite whose eggs are cemented to the hair of horses is which species?

• A. Gasterophilus species
• B. Hypoderma species
• C. Oestrus species
• D. Cuterebra species

Answer: (A)

Eggs cemented to horse hair point to the horse bot flies in the genus Gasterophilus. Female Gasterophilus flies lay eggs on the horse’s facial hairs, especially around the lips, and the eggs have a sticky, cement-like coating that keeps them attached. When the horse licks or rubs the area, the eggs hatch and the larvae enter the mouth, migrate to the stomach, and complete their development. This is distinct from other bot flies: Hypoderma species mainly affect cattle and develop under the skin, Oestrus ovis is a nasal bot of sheep, and Cuterebra usually targets rodents (and occasionally dogs/c wild mammals) rather than horses.

Eggs cemented to horse hair point to the horse bot flies in the genus Gasterophilus. Female Gasterophilus flies lay eggs on the horse’s facial hairs, especially around the lips, and the eggs have a sticky, cement-like coating that keeps them attached. When the horse licks or rubs the area, the eggs hatch and the larvae enter the mouth, migrate to the stomach, and complete their development. This is distinct from other bot flies: Hypoderma species mainly affect cattle and develop under the skin, Oestrus ovis is a nasal bot of sheep, and Cuterebra usually targets rodents (and occasionally dogs/c wild mammals) rather than horses.