Bot Fly

Description:

So bummed that this is the only photo I got before it flew off! This Botfly is primarily black with white on the sides of the thorax and on the face. The eyes have a red stripe in the center. First image is cropped from second image. "Females typically deposit eggs in the burrows and "runs" of rodent or rabbit hosts. A warm body passing by the eggs causes them to hatch almost instantly and the larvae glom onto the host. The larvae are subcutaneous (under the skin) parasites of the host. Their presence is easily detected as a tumor-like bulge, often in the throat or neck or flanks of the host. The larvae breathe by everting the anal spiracles out a hole (so they are oriented head-down inside the host). They feed on the flesh of the host, but only rarely does the host die as a result."

Habitat:

Chaparral on dead twig.