About Cuterebra emasculator Fitch, 1856
Cuterebra emasculator, commonly called the squirrel bot fly, is a New World skin bot fly species belonging to the family Oestridae. Asa Fitch first described this species in 1856. It acts as an internal parasite of chipmunks and tree squirrels native to the eastern United States. The species' scientific name originated from the belief that its larvae ate the testicles of chipmunks. This belief is not true. Parasitism by these fly larvae does not cause reduced fertility in hosts: chipmunks mate in spring, while botfly infections develop in summer, and larvae do not interfere with sperm production because they live under the host's skin.
