Tsetse flies

09 Nov 2024 11:49:29 am

Tags : Tsetse flies

Topic: Biodiversity

Why in the news?

Tsetse flies are present in 34 African countries, according to a new atlas published by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Tsetse flies (genus Glossina) transmit trypanosomes, which are unicellular parasites that cause sleeping sickness in humans. They are also linked to nagana in African livestock, resulting in annual agricultural losses estimated in the billions of dollars.

Source: Down To Earth

About Tsetse flies:

These are unicellular blood-sucking insects.
They are holometabolous insects, females giving birth to full-grown larvae which rapidly pupate in the soil.
They are arranged taxonomically and ecologically into three groups:
- the fusca, or forest group
- the morsitans, or savanna group
- the palpalis, or riverine group
They are found in local patches of dense vegetation along banks of rivers. Also found in lakes in arid terrain, and also in dense, wet, heavily forested equatorial rainforest
They feed on blood and transmit the Trypanosoma parasites, which are responsible for sleeping sickness in humans and animal trypanosomosis or \"Nagana\" in cattle.
They are also linked to nagana in African livestock, resulting in annual agricultural losses estimated in the billions of dollars.