Tsetse fly
Videos
Tsetse flies are large biting flies that inhabit much of tropical Africa. Tsetse flies include all the species in the genus Glossina, which are placed in their own family, Glossinidae. The tsetse is a
A photograph of the head of a tsetse illustrating the forward pointing proboscis
A photograph and diagram of the head of a tsetse illustrating the branched hairs of the antenna's arista
1-Complex mouthparts, 2-Paired antennae, 3-Head, 4-Compound eye, 5-Thorax, 6-Open tube heart, 7-Salivary gland, 8-One pair of wings, 9-Halter, 10-Excretory (Malpighian) tube, 11-Gut, 12-Ovary (or testis), 13-Abdomen, 14-Legs (3 pairs), 15-Thoracic ganglion of nervous system, 16-Spiracle opening to respiratory tube (trachea)
Hematophagy
Videos
Hematophagy is the practice by certain animals of feeding on blood. Since blood is a fluid tissue rich in nutritious proteins and lipids that can be taken without great effort, hematophagy is a prefer
An Anopheles stephensi mosquito obtaining a blood meal from a human host through its pointed proboscis. Note the droplet of blood being expelled from the engorged abdomen. This mosquito is a malarial vector with a distribution that ranges from Egypt to China.
A bedbug
Two butterflies of the genus Erebia sucking fresh blood from a sock
Starling Feeding Offspring