Wohlfahrtia Magnifica
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Wohlfahrtia Magnifica
an insect of the family Sarcosaphagidae. The body of the fly is light gray with black contrasting spots on the abdomen. It is 9-13 cm long. The insect is found in southern Europe, North Africa, and Central and Middle Asia. It is larviparous. The Wohlfahrtia magnifica deposits larvae (each 1 mm long) in groups of 120-160 in wounds and scratches, as well as the mucous membrane of the eyes, the ear helix, and nasal cavity of various animals (including domesticated animals, such as cattle, horses, camels, pigs, and dogs) and sometimes of humans (causing wohlfahrtiosis and myiasis). The larval period in wounds lasts 2½ to three days, after which the larvae leave the body of the host and pupate, burrowing into the ground. The Wohlfahrtia magnifica can produce up to six generations per year.