Hide-damage
Guides
Hypoderma
Warble Flies, Heel Flies, Bomb Flies, Gadflies
Hypoderma is a genus of large parasitic flies in the family Oestridae, commonly known as warble flies. Adults are non-feeding and live only to reproduce. Females deposit eggs on the legs and flanks of cattle and other ungulates; first-instar larvae penetrate the skin and migrate through the host's body, typically to the gullet or spinal canal, before settling in subcutaneous tissues of the back to develop. The larvae create characteristic swellings (warbles) visible on the host's hide. Two economically important species are H. bovis (ox warble fly) and H. lineatum (cattle warble fly), which cause significant damage to cattle hides and reduce animal welfare.