The tsetse fly is the glory of an extremely dangerous insect.It is able to cause human and animal disease called trypanosomiasis.There are two forms of this infection: Rhodesian trypanosomiasis, sometimes referred to as the East African and Gambian or West African.Rhodesian transmitted from animal to animal, and mainly affects cattle, horses, wild ungulates.Gambian form is common among people it is commonly called sleeping sickness.The tsetse fly is found only in Africa.It is known 22 species of insect.It is active during the day and feeds exclusively on blood.
Most insects are usually negligent parents.The female lays eggs and flies away, leaving the young to survive on their own.The tsetse fly is different from other insects that very carefully about his offspring.The female lays one egg, but it includes it in a safe place - in her womb.The egg turns into a larva that grows by feeding liquid rich in fats, called by scientists "prenatal milk."When the larva fills the mother's uterus, it releases it in moist soil.Larvae pupate immediately and hides.
Studies have shown that "milk" contains the enzyme sphingomyelinase, which is activated in the acidic environment in the digestive tract of the larvae.Sphingomyelinase involved in the metabolism of fat and formation of cell membranes.This enzyme has a similar function in mammals and tsetse lactation, despite the enormous evolutionary distance between these classes.Also parasitic organism - trypanosomes, there is another bacterium that lives in his digestive tract, evolved simultaneously with his master for millions of years - endosymbiotic bacterium Wigglesworthia glossinidia.It provides insect nutrients, it affects the ability of the flies to reproduce.Perhaps this knowledge will someday be used by scientists to prevent the spread of the disease.When removing bacteria from the insect scientists can reduce its fertility and, consequently, the transmission of the disease.
bite of the tsetse fly is very dangerous.It is a carrier of trypanosomes tiny single-celled organisms with a size equal to about the size of red blood cells.There are several types of parasites, divided into categories according to their effects on vertebrates.Some species do not cause any health problems, while other strains are extremely dangerous.Insect in the process of acquiring their food from infected vertebrates and then transmits the non-infected animals through saliva.
trypanosomes live in the digestive tract of the insect within a few days and then moves to the salivary gland.The tsetse fly is likely to not respond to these parasites, but it is possible that they increase the chance of survival of the insect.The fact that trypanosomes have evolved considerably and formed its own life cycle, which requires a certain time, depending on the home.
morphologically insect exists in two forms: the larva of third instar (when it is separated from the mother) and adult.
adult tsetse fly - an insect relatively large, ranging in length from 0.5 to 1.5 centimeters, with clearly defined characteristics.She has a large head with a characteristic proboscis, large eyes and unusual antenna having a spine with branched hairs on the ends.The chest is quite large, wide belly, but not extended, it is shorter than the wings, which can be seen in front of a particular feature: the segment resembling an ax.
