Mass Maggot Migration
Never did I think I would observe such a thing as a maggot mass migration but stumbled across it today and couldn't believe my eyes. A large cow had died on an over-grazed portion of open range (wetland), under some pine trees about fifty feet away from a steep-sided, dried-up stream channel. Only the hide and bones were left in the original shape of the carcass. From it to the stream channel, 50 feet away, was a sheet of maggots wriggling along as fast as they could go. When they came to the 'cliff' (about 2 feet high) over they went into the bottom (about 2-3 feet wide) where they had piled up to a depth of about one-half to one inch, especially in the bottom of hardened, deep cow tracks. Among them were carrion beetles and their larvae, a few flies, and numerous tiny (about 3-4mm) ants dragging their maggot-prey back up to the top of the cliff. The maggots were trying to climb up the opposite side but kept falling back into the bottom.The stretch of stream-bottom they filled is about 50 feet long so you can imagine how many millions of them were trapped. Has anyone ever seen anything like this? It was reminiscent of lemmings migrating over a cliff. Thanks for your interest!