Cordylobia rodhaini

Description

Cordylobia rodhaini also known as the Lund's fly derived its common name from captain Lund, who was the first European to show symptoms of the disease caused by the larvae of the same fly. The Lund’s fly belongs to the genus Cordylobia, a group of flies from the family Calliphoridae. The currently known species comprising the genus Cordylobia include: C. anthropophaga, C. ebadiana, C. praegrandis, C. rodhaini and C. ruandae. The larvae of the Lund’s fly are parasites of thinned-skinned mammals, especially the Gambian rat, mona monkey and small antelopes and are only accidental parasites of humans. The adult flies feeds on rotting fruits, vegetables and animal feces, and are most abundant in the wet season. Like many tropical insects they are most active in the dark periods and have the greatest activity early in the morning and late in the evening while resting typically between 8am to 5pm. The Lund’s fly are largely confined to tropical Africa, especially the rainforest areas in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, as a result of human migration, the parasitic infections they cause have been recorded in other continents including Europe and Asia.