Risk-spreading-reproduction
Guides
Cephenemyia apicata
nose bot fly
Cephenemyia apicata is a nose bot fly (family Oestridae) that parasitizes Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus). First instar larvae develop in the deer's bronchi for 6–8 months before migrating to retropharyngeal pouches. Adult males aggregate at elevated stands of Castanopsis and Quercus in California, with activity occurring from April through July when air temperatures reach 20°C. Females exhibit a distinctive visible attack behavior, landing on or near deer and eliciting curiosity before larvipositing into nostrils.