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Tsetse fly
Tsetse flies (/ˈsiːtsi/ SEET-see, UK: /ˈtsɛtsə/ TSET-sə or US: /ˈtsiːtsi/ TSEET-see) (sometimes spelled tzetze; also known as tik-tik 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 an obligate parasite that lives by feeding on the blood of vertebrate animals. Tsetse flies have been extensively studied because of their role in transmitting disease. They have pronounced economic and public health impacts in sub-Saharan Africa as the biological vectors of trypanosomes, causing human and animal trypanosomiasis.
Tsetse flies can be distinguished from other large flies by two easily-observed features: primarily, tsetse flies fold their wings over their abdomens completely when they are resting (so that one wing rests directly on top of the other); Secondly, tsetse flies also have a long proboscis, extending directly forward, which is attached by a distinct bulb to the bottom of their heads.
Fossilized tsetse specimens have been recovered from Paleogene rocks in the United States and Germany. Twenty-three extant species of tsetse flies are known from the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula.
Tsetse without the "fly" has become more common in English, particularly in the scientific and development communities.
The word is pronounced [tsɛtsɛ] (tseh-tseh) in the Sotho languages and is easily rendered in other African languages. During World War II, a British de Havilland antisubmarine aircraft known as the Tsetse Mosquito helped establish the term in commonplace use among native English speakers.
The biology of tsetse flies is relatively well understood by entomologists. They have been extensively studied because of their medical, veterinary, and economic importance, because the flies can be raised in a laboratory, and because they are relatively large, facilitating their analysis.
Tsetse flies can be seen as independent individuals in three forms: as third-instar larvae, pupae, and adults.
Tsetse first become separate from their mothers during the third larval instar, during which they have the typical appearance of maggots. However, this life stage is short, lasting at most a few hours, and is almost never observed outside of the laboratory.
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Tsetse fly AI simulator
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Tsetse fly
Tsetse flies (/ˈsiːtsi/ SEET-see, UK: /ˈtsɛtsə/ TSET-sə or US: /ˈtsiːtsi/ TSEET-see) (sometimes spelled tzetze; also known as tik-tik 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 an obligate parasite that lives by feeding on the blood of vertebrate animals. Tsetse flies have been extensively studied because of their role in transmitting disease. They have pronounced economic and public health impacts in sub-Saharan Africa as the biological vectors of trypanosomes, causing human and animal trypanosomiasis.
Tsetse flies can be distinguished from other large flies by two easily-observed features: primarily, tsetse flies fold their wings over their abdomens completely when they are resting (so that one wing rests directly on top of the other); Secondly, tsetse flies also have a long proboscis, extending directly forward, which is attached by a distinct bulb to the bottom of their heads.
Fossilized tsetse specimens have been recovered from Paleogene rocks in the United States and Germany. Twenty-three extant species of tsetse flies are known from the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula.
Tsetse without the "fly" has become more common in English, particularly in the scientific and development communities.
The word is pronounced [tsɛtsɛ] (tseh-tseh) in the Sotho languages and is easily rendered in other African languages. During World War II, a British de Havilland antisubmarine aircraft known as the Tsetse Mosquito helped establish the term in commonplace use among native English speakers.
The biology of tsetse flies is relatively well understood by entomologists. They have been extensively studied because of their medical, veterinary, and economic importance, because the flies can be raised in a laboratory, and because they are relatively large, facilitating their analysis.
Tsetse flies can be seen as independent individuals in three forms: as third-instar larvae, pupae, and adults.
Tsetse first become separate from their mothers during the third larval instar, during which they have the typical appearance of maggots. However, this life stage is short, lasting at most a few hours, and is almost never observed outside of the laboratory.