Rabbit-parasite
Guides
Cediopsylla simplex
Cediopsylla simplex is a flea species in the family Pulicidae. Its reproductive biology is tightly coupled to host hormonal cycles, with female maturation occurring specifically on pregnant rabbits and nestlings rather than on estrous does. The species has been described as "hormone bound," indicating that its breeding cycle is controlled by and synchronized with the breeding cycle of its host. This physiological dependency represents a specialized adaptation among fleas.
Cuterebra buccata
rabbit bot fly
Cuterebra buccata is a New World bot fly in the family Oestridae, commonly known as the rabbit bot fly. Adults are large, bumble bee-sized flies that lack functional mouthparts and do not feed. The species is host-specific to lagomorphs, particularly cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus). Larvae develop subcutaneously in warbles, feeding on host fluids rather than tissue. Adults are rarely encountered in the field and have short lifespans focused on reproduction.
bot-flymyiasisparasitelagomorphrabbitOestridaeCuterebrinaebumble-bee-mimicrywarblesubcutaneous-parasitehost-specificnon-feeding-adultpupariumCuterebraSylvilaguscottontail-rabbitNew-WorldNorth-AmericaVirginiaMissouriVermontspring-emergencelate-summer-prevalencerarely-encounteredshort-lived-adultevolutionary-coevolutionbenign-parasitismsoil-pupationlarval-migrationsubcutaneous-developmentDipteraInsectaentomologymedical-entomologyveterinary-entomologywildlife-diseaseparasitologyhost-parasite-interactioncuterebridrabbit-parasitelagomorph-parasitebotwarble-flygadflyOestrus-buccataFabricius-1775Cuterebra-buccata-(Fabricius,-1775)Cuterebra lepusculi
cottontail rabbit botfly
Cuterebra lepusculi is a New World skin bot fly (family Oestridae) that parasitizes cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus spp.). Adults are short-lived, lack functional mouthparts, and do not feed. Females deposit eggs near rabbit burrow entrances; larvae hatch upon detecting host body heat, enter through natural orifices or wounds, and develop in subcutaneous warbles for approximately one month before exiting to pupate in soil.