Cochliomyia hominivorax

Cochliomyia hominivorax, the New World screwworm fly, New World screwworm (NWS) or simply screwworm or screw-worm, is a species of parasitic blowfly whose larvae (maggots) feed on living tissue of warm-blooded animals. It is present in the New World tropics (and also currently found in the United States as of 2026). Of the four species of Cochliomyia, only C. hominivorax is parasitic; a single parasitic species of Old World screwworm fly is placed in a different genus (Chrysomya bezziana). Infes