Characteristics of Blood Sucking Mouthparts
Blood feeding diptera are very unique in many ways. They do feed on sucking actions of their mouthparts. The mouthparts have evolved to suit the environment of the food source. Tsetse fly, Glossina spp, is an example of a blood sucking diptera. According to Dwight, the fly is commonly found in the African continent due to the high density of different animals. The fly is believed to depend on these animals for survival where they used their highly specialised mouthparts to draw blood out of the host. The fly is known to infect human blood which can cause a disease known as African sleeping sickness. The following are some of the mouthpart characteristics of the tsetse fly that enable it to suck blood from its host.
· It has a long and narrow proboscis. The proboscis has a needle shape that enable the organism to penetrate through the thick layer of the skin with ease. The proboscis has a sharp this edge that can suck blood and at the same time, release saliva into the host. This is a serious practice that can pass pathogens from the fly into the host thus causing infection.
· On a resting stage where fly is not feeding, the proboscis is held underneath the head pointing forward. This action helps the fly to take off easily without damaging its mouthparts. A pair of maxillary palps plays a major role in protecting the proboscis or haustellum when not in used.
· The proboscis is made up of three important structures known as the Labium, Labrum and Hypopharynx.
· The labium which is the thickest of the three structures has a number of small teeth known as labellar teeth. The teeth plays an important role in cutting its way through the skin of the host so they can suck out blood.
· The other end of the labium that attaches to the head is swollen. The movement of the teeth is controlled by the muscle found on the swollen part.
· Sucked blood will transport from the host through a special tube known as the Labrum.
· As mentioned earlier, saliva helps to soften food before they are sucked up by the animal. As the fly feeds, saliva is also deposited into the animal at the same time. This saliva has been transported from the animal through the tube known as Hypopharynx. This tube is attached closely to the labrum.
· Another example of diptera that has a blood sucking mouthpart is the horsefly, Tabanidae philoliche. They also have well developed mandibles that can be used for biting and sucking of blood. The male horsefly have a longer proboscis than female and they do not suck blood. Their proboscis were used to suck nectar of flowers while their female counterparts have shorter proboscis which relies on animal blood for survival. The different food preference have evolved their proboscis to suit their feeding patterns. Once female horsefly landed on the host, it can be felt by the host as they bite through the skin of the host using their sharp mandibles before they draw blood through their proboscis.
Blood feeding diptera are very unique in many ways. They do feed on sucking actions of their mouthparts. The mouthparts have evolved to suit the environment of the food source. Tsetse fly, Glossina spp, is an example of a blood sucking diptera. According to Dwight, the fly is commonly found in the African continent due to the high density of different animals. The fly is believed to depend on these animals for survival where they used their highly specialised mouthparts to draw blood out of the host. The fly is known to infect human blood which can cause a disease known as African sleeping sickness. The following are some of the mouthpart characteristics of the tsetse fly that enable it to suck blood from its host.
· It has a long and narrow proboscis. The proboscis has a needle shape that enable the organism to penetrate through the thick layer of the skin with ease. The proboscis has a sharp this edge that can suck blood and at the same time, release saliva into the host. This is a serious practice that can pass pathogens from the fly into the host thus causing infection.
· On a resting stage where fly is not feeding, the proboscis is held underneath the head pointing forward. This action helps the fly to take off easily without damaging its mouthparts. A pair of maxillary palps plays a major role in protecting the proboscis or haustellum when not in used.
· The proboscis is made up of three important structures known as the Labium, Labrum and Hypopharynx.
· The labium which is the thickest of the three structures has a number of small teeth known as labellar teeth. The teeth plays an important role in cutting its way through the skin of the host so they can suck out blood.
· The other end of the labium that attaches to the head is swollen. The movement of the teeth is controlled by the muscle found on the swollen part.
· Sucked blood will transport from the host through a special tube known as the Labrum.
· As mentioned earlier, saliva helps to soften food before they are sucked up by the animal. As the fly feeds, saliva is also deposited into the animal at the same time. This saliva has been transported from the animal through the tube known as Hypopharynx. This tube is attached closely to the labrum.
· Another example of diptera that has a blood sucking mouthpart is the horsefly, Tabanidae philoliche. They also have well developed mandibles that can be used for biting and sucking of blood. The male horsefly have a longer proboscis than female and they do not suck blood. Their proboscis were used to suck nectar of flowers while their female counterparts have shorter proboscis which relies on animal blood for survival. The different food preference have evolved their proboscis to suit their feeding patterns. Once female horsefly landed on the host, it can be felt by the host as they bite through the skin of the host using their sharp mandibles before they draw blood through their proboscis.