O'h that miserable fly...

[trehopr1]

Sometimes in ones collection it's the rather mundane looking
items which can have an extraordinary history well beyond the
given appearance.

A case in point is provided in the photograph below.

The un-assuming fly which you see is of African origin. It has long
been a "scourge" in sub-Saharan Africa since time in millenia.

This is the infamous Tsetse (SEET-see / TSEET-see) Fly.
Tsetse flies are placed in their own family -- Glossinidae. Further,
all belong to but, one genus -- Glossina.

AND, there are 23 extant species of tsetse flies known from Africa.



My singular specimen hails from Tsavo National Park/Kenya (1965).

These biting flies feed on the blood of vertebrate animals. Just as in mosquitoes
a blood meal is required to incubate the eggs. In the process of biting these flies 
transmit trypanosomes which are the leading cause of Africa's famed "sleeping sickness".

To this day, tsetse flies still remain a biological vector to be "addressed" year after year in 
many of Africa's poorest and most rural regions. As of this writing, there are 37 countries
infested with tsetse and they are largely poor, debt-ridden, and underdeveloped.

Of curious note, tsetse flies fold their wings completely when they are resting (like Asilidae -- robber flies);
so that one wing rests directly on top of the other over their abdomen.

Also, there are 3 general species "groups" recognized:  Morsitans ("savannah" subgenus)
                                         
                                                                                 Fusca ("forest" subgenus)

                                                                                 Palpalis ("riverine" subgenus)

*This is just some of the fascinating information which I have only cursorily found amongst my
personal library (and the web) but, there is loads more there for those who need to know more...

In closing,  I should mention the size of my species pictured is 12mm. (length) but, some other
species may be up to 15mm.

[catocala59]

I still have feeding site scars on my ankles from Tsetse flies from my time working in Zambia 40 years ago. Their puparia could be found in numbers in the loose soil around warthog dens.

[trehopr1]

You know, I have heard the term Tsetse Fly used randomly (here and there) in various African or adventure movies.

It seems to always be used as a term of "dreaded" misadventure.

Rather like "if you go there to that region -- whatever you do -- Don't get bit by the Teet-see fly"...

Of course, these days the term is used in the movies rather liberally and with a measure of comedic abandon.

Heck, they don't even say the term properly. Instead of calling it the "Seet-see" fly the dialogue of most any film always winds up calling it the "Teet-see" fly -- for cheap laughs...

At least in older movies it was used in a more serious monotone manner.

[livingplanet3]

The Tsetse Trap (1978) -

archive.org/details/thetsetsetrap

[trehopr1]

Wow, how the heck do you find this stuff ?

My hat's off to you livingplanet3; and thanks for noticing this thread and for your input !

[trehopr1]

If any of you have ever seen that goofball program called "Naked and Afraid" it kind of makes me wonder if they would ever drop a couple of participants smack dab in the middle of Tsetse fly territory -- at the height of the season !

I'd be willing to bet the participants wouldn't last five days they'd be so bitten up.

Ha', but then they probably sue the program for reckless endangerment or something like that...

[livingplanet3]

Mar 15, 2021 16:51:44 GMT -8 trehopr1 said:

Wow, how the heck do you find this stuff ?

My hat's off to you livingplanet3; and thanks for noticing this thread and for your input !

You might also be interested in seeing Locusts: War Without End (1981) -

archive.org/details/NOVALocusts

[jshuey]

I worked with a medical entomologist for my masters degree. He worked in Africa quite a bit. He was a bit of a hypochondriac - and was not fond of Africa because he truly feared the diseases that he studied. I remember once he had a Department of Defense grant to work on dengue vectors. He was scheduled for 2 months in Africa, but he worked dawn to dusk and came home in three weeks.

Based on his fear of the continent, I have stayed in the western hemisphere where most of the diseases are more manageable.

As an aside - about 25 years ago, I gave an intern here in Indiana their first real job in conservation. That intern was very smart, skilled and ambitious. Within a decade, he was selected to lead our conservation programs for Africa. And he knew I was interested in leps, so he asked if I wanted to participate in an expedition up some isolated African volcanic mountain into cloud forest. I told him - "Nope - not interested"! Based completely upon my old advisor's warnings.

My old intern has since risen to an even larger leadership role - essentially running our global conservation program. And I'm still here in Indiana! But I'm not blind, I've never had elephantiasis, or even seen a land born leach. Good decisions all the way around!

John

[trehopr1]

I think it is a wise decision to err on the side of caution when it comes to one's personal health. After all, we should all hope to lead a long productive life.

Many countries in Africa as well as the country of India (in particular) have some very nasty diseases that one can acquire and end up retaining for a lifetime.

Young people may be carefree in their desire for adventure but, age creeps up on all of us; and I should think no one wants to spend the latter part of their life in wholesale misery because of the reckless abandon of our youth.

I suppose in this life someone has to take those risks for "the betterment of mankind" but, personally speaking it would never be me.

I'll stick with the Western hemisphere and it's relative safety.

[exoticimports]

Without risk there is no reward.

[kevinkk]

Jun 25, 2021 13:14:04 GMT -8 exoticimports said:

Without risk there is no reward.

Perhaps, and now, I regret not taking more risks, although not having taken all the possibilities to fruition, one never knows
how they'd have turned out, I suppose at some point, risk will come back into the list of possibilities.

[jshuey]

Jun 25, 2021 13:14:04 GMT -8 exoticimports said:

Without risk there is no reward.

I agree - but I'll limit my risk taking to this side of the planet!

j

[foxxdoc]

The bitter truth is that with various forms of Ivermectin many of the parasites could be better controlled. Logistics and costs hold some countries back. ( among other reasons ; some sinister )

BEST

TOM