YouTLDR SummaryAuto transcript
They are sterile male flies, irradiated to prevent reproduction. Billions are released to mate with wild females, eradicating the parasitic screwworm population.
- ☣️ The screwworm fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax) lays eggs in wounds, and the larvae eat live flesh.
- 🧫 The sterile male flies are bred in massive 'worm factories' and then irradiated.
- ✈️ They are dispersed by plane over affected areas, creating an 'invisible wall' against the parasite.
- ⚠️ The program has been incredibly successful but faces ongoing challenges, with recent outbreaks in Panama and Costa Rica.
- 🌎 This sterile insect technique (SIT) is also used to control other pests like the tsetse fly and mosquito.
A person in a hat looks up at a large, abstract, glowing green entity with two large eye-like holes, set against a dark jungle background with purple and green splashes.