Q&A: What have decades of eradication efforts taught us about the New World screwworm?
The value of basic science in insect biology is no more evident than when a crisis arises involving a devastating insect pest like the New World screwworm, says University of Illinois entomology professor May Berenbaum. In a 2016 essay in the journal Science, Berenbaum wrote about the successful—if temporary—eradication of the pest in many parts of the world. Here she answers common questions…
The New World screwworm, a parasitic fly called Cochliomyia hominivorax, wreaked havoc on livestock in the U.S. before being eradicated. These flies lay maggots that consume living tissue, leading to significant losses in the agricultural sector. The eradication process hinged on the sterile insect technique, which used radiation to sterilize male flies, rendering them infertile.
Female screwworm flies mate only once, so releasing large numbers of sterile males could halt the reproductive cycle, a method known as autocidal control. This approach has no known adverse environmental impacts. Basic entomological research initially uncovered that radiation could sterilize certain male insects and discovered that female screwworm flies mate just once.
The effectiveness of this method depended on continuous use of pest management techniques that didn't select for resistance, like high-intensity control. The screwworm fly's name is derived from the maggots' twisting path into hosts, and its historical presence in tropical and subtropical regions limited widespread American exposure.
In recent years, the fly has made a return, prompting questions about what lessons from its eradication might teach us moving forward.
Written by urgent.news from Phys.org's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
