Several years ago, a graduate student named Gerard returned to his laboratory after two week’s worth of field work in Belize. He had accumulated several insect bites, which is not unusual given the time of year and the mosquito breeding ground of a swamp where he was stationed. After three weeks, one of the bites on his head began to swell and itch much more than any others he had seen.
He began to experience sharp, shooting pains from the area of the bite and eventually asked a fellow graduate student, Regina, to take a look at it. What Regina saw was a massive boil oozing with blood and pus. In the center of the wound was a small, white dot; she remarked that “it look[ed] like an eye.”
After probing the pustule for several minutes, a wrinkly white stump emerged. As if on cue, the stump began to pull itself back into the oozing wound. Gerard winced and Regina brought out the tweezers.
Human Bot Flies Dermatobia hominis
This stump was none other than a bot fly larva, a plump, parasitic maggot with tiny spines encircling its body segments and a mouth hook used to dig farther into human skin. It found its way to Gerard’s skin via mosquito.
Typically, female bot flies will capture a blood-feeding insect (such as a mosquito) in mid-air and force anywhere from 10 to 50 eggs onto the insect’s abdomen. Once the insect lands on and punctures flesh, the eggs drop onto the human body and hatch within five minutes. They then squirm to the nearest bite wound, abrasion, or hair follicle. If no openings are to be found, the five-minute-old maggots can also rip through intact skin.
The larvae have a breathing tube (known as a posterior respiratory spiracle) which must remain in constant contact with air if the creature is to breathe. Therefore, the wound of a bot fly larva will neither heal nor cease to ooze as long as the larva is embedded in the skin. The wound is often excruciatingly itchy and intense shooting pains occur almost every time the maggot shifts around or grows.
After less than 10 weeks, the maggot is done with the human body. Its rings of spines loosen their grip and it pops out of the skin, onto the ground, where it will then burrow and pupate for four to eleven weeks. Then, it will emerge as a fully-grown bot fly, ready to plant eggs and perpetuate the species.
Human bot flies are found only in the Americas, and are particularly common in Mexico and Belize. Rare cases have been known to occur in or near the eye sockets. Immediate surgery is required to prevent any damage to this sensitive area, often performed without anesthetic due to either allergies or financial limitations. The patient is then forced to stay awake and completely alert as a massive maggot is painfully dredged from their skin in plain view.
Medina Worm Dracunculus medinensis
Otherwise known as “the fiery serpent,” this worm is parasite even to fleas. The larvae start their lives out in fresh water, where they are first swallowed by a water flea. The larvae continue to grow and develop within the water flea, which is eventually consumed by an unsuspecting animal (such as a human). The medina worm larvae immediately latch on to the intestines and feed.
Whereas the water flea is quickly dissolved by stomach acid, the worm remains undetected; not even the immune system recognizes its presence, although the worm stays in the intestines for an entire year. The most recognizable early symptom this creature causes is the occasional high fever.
Once a digested worm reaches the adult stage, it mates along the intestinal wall, and the male dies. The female then migrates to the surface of the body — well into your subcutaneous tissue — and will grow to be around three feet long. Along with any other adult female worms, she will eventually move to your lower extremities (such as the ankles) and will begin to push herself out of your skin.
A blister begins to form, and eventually it is visible through the skin as an inflamed worm-shaped protrusion. When the infected person comes in contact with water, the worm releases a milky, white liquid containing millions of immature larvae that start their own life cycle.
Eventually, the worm erupts through this blister. As its head continues to emerge, more of the same milky white residue spews from the wound. At this point in time, the only way to remove it is by twisting its body around a matchstick and slowly reeling it out. It’s no wonder that this painful, time-consuming process is why the parasite is more commonly known as “the fiery serpent.”
The worms have been found in Egyptian mummies, the corpses of emperors, and the pages of ancient Greek medical books. This worm is so world-renowned that it’s thought to have been the symbol for the traditional medical logo: a snake coiled around a staff, otherwise known as the Rod of Asclepius. Although modern day medical process is to reel the worm out with a matchstick, the procedure is still essentially the same.
Joanna Eberts
Tarantula Hawk Pepsis and Hemipepsis genera
We’ve all heard of tarantulas. Whether from a cheesy horror film or a terrarium, the majority of us fear them. Now, imagine a wasp more than half their size that feasts on their intestines. Enter the tarantula hawk.
Female tarantula hawks are the true hunters of the genus. They will generally seek out a tarantula, capture it, and inject it with venom from their thick 1/3-inch-long stinger. This dose is powerful enough to completely paralyze the spider within seconds of the sting.
After having dragged the spider into a deserted burrow, the wasp lays a single egg on its abdomen and then covers the entrance with dirt. The larva hatches fairly soon and begins to suck the juices from the still-living spider. Once it is strong enough, the larva forces itself into the spider’s body and feasts, yet avoids the vital organs so as to keep the spider alive and fresh for as long as possible. Eventually, the spider dies, and its body is left to decay in the very same burrow. By that time, a healthy adult tarantula hawk is ready for flight and out on the hunt for more.
Tarantula hawks are an extremely adaptable species that seems to be just about everywhere tarantulas are found: If there’s a spider to hunt, they will be there. They have been found in the U.S. as far north as Oregon, but typically stay within desert areas. Although not typically violent towards humans, they have one of the most intensely painful stings of any wasp in the world; the Schmidt Sting Pain Index rated them as a 4.0, second only to the bite of a Bullet Ant.
Video Proof
Four terrifying creatures caught on tape. Warning: Not for the faint of heart.
