How to be a Proper Host (to a Botfly)

Botflies are tricky - and somewhat disgusting - insects. They mug other unsuspecting flies and lay their eggs on them using the other fly as a free taxi ride to a nice warm mammal, perhaps like yourself. There, the larvae burrows in and > then...

Jenny Goldberg's zine on how to be a "proper host" to these parasites is a nice primer on keeping and feeding your own insect, albeit off your own body! I actually had a good friend, Yui, who nurtured the botfly he was infested with in Costa Rica till it finally emerged from his shoulder. Heck, that is what a dedicated entomologist will do. In fact, some people even keep online diaries of the experience. Would you name yours "Iggy" like this diarist? hmm...

For those brave souls among you, you can watch a video of some folk extracting three of these critters from the back of some fellow - Ugh..!

This zine even comes with a handy mail-away coupon so you can get your own botfly, once you've been thoroughly convinced what a worthwhile project rearing your own would be...I suppose you just don't tell the mailman what is in the box.

To download the zine, click on the coupon above. If you would like to see a color version of the original zine, check it out at Jenny's site!