Field behavior and seasonal activity of the rodent bot fly, Cuterebra tenebrosa, central Washington (Diptera: Cuterebridae)

Behavior and activity of the rodent bot fly, Cuterebra tenebrosa Coquillett, was studied at a natural aggregation site in central Washington. Daily flight activity extended from 1700 hr to 2030 hr (PDT) beginning in mid - July of 1970 and 1971. The peak of flight activity, in August, was followed by a decline in activity through September. Male flies aggregated on the vertical faces of basalt cliffs, where they awaited females. Daily activity reached a peak at temperatures of 30 – 35 C. Eggs were laid in rock crevices without regard to the proximity of Neotoma wood rat hosts. Developing fly pupae were found in litter in wood rat tunnels in basalt cliffs.