Mosquitos and other biting Diptera

Abstract

The biting Diptera are two-winged flying insects that suck blood from humans and animals. In many parts of the world their biting is a considerable nuisance. More importantly, they are carriers of a number of diseases, mostly in the tropics, causing illness and death on a large scale. The most important group of biting Diptera is the mosquitos, which have a long, slender body and long, needle-shaped, piercing mouthparts. Others include the blackflies, phlebotomine sandflies, tsetse flies, biting midges, horseflies (tabanids) and stable flies, which generally have shorter biting mouthparts and more robust bodies. The last three groups are of limited importance as vectors of human disease.