Rabbit Bot Fly

Cuterebra sp. flies are large, hairy, and characterized by the absence of a functional mouth. Their life span is short, and aimed only at the reproduction of the species. The larvae of several species of the Cuterebra sp. flies can infest rabbits and other lagomorphs. They include Cuterebra buccata, C. cuniculi, C. lepivora, C. abdominalis, C. jelloni, C. ruficrus, and C. lepusculi. The parasitic larvae of these flies can infest human beings and other animals as well, including dogs, foxes, cats, and minks.
Unlike with fly-strike, a Cuterebra sp. larva strike is not linked to poor hygiene. Indeed, the eggs are not deposited on skin soiled with urine or excrement, but near the entrance to a rabbit burrow, other lagomorph nests, or near an outdoor rabbit hutch. House rabbits can also be struck by botfly larvae, when a fly enters a home, and deposits eggs in the rabbit's living environment. When the botfly larva emerges from the egg, it will migrate onto a (wild) rabbit, cottontail, or hare. It enters the body of its host through the skin (breaks in the skin or any natural openings), after which it penetrates the mucosa. The larva will migrate further in the body, using the trachea and the abdominal cavity to move to a subcutaneous location. There it will develop a 2 to 3 cm long furunculoid cystic structure, with a fistula (respiratory hole) at the surface of the skin, and swelling of the subcutaneous tissues.