Trojan fly: Gene-edited living insecticides could help farmers spray less Dan Blaustein-Rejto | August 19, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/08/19/trojan-fly-gene-edited-living-insecticides-could-help-farmers-spray-less/ On June 3, a three-week-old calf in Zavala County, Texas, was found with fly larvae feeding on a wound. While the calf recovered, the case reopened a chapter of agricultural history that Americans had largely forgotten: New World screwworm, a parasitic fly whose larvae eat the living flesh of cattle, wildlife, pets, and occasionally people.