Entomology

Code: PHL 2208

By
John Paul Byagamy
MSc (Entomology & Parasitology), BMLS, DMLT
Email: jpbyagamy@lirauni.ac.ug.
Mob: 0782198226/ 0750590699.
Tsetse fly

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 Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Sub order Schizophora
Family: Glossinidae

Genus: Glossina

Species groups  Morsitans ("savannah" subgenus)

 Fusca ("forest" subgenus)

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 Palpalis ("riverine" subgenus)
 General Introduction
• Tsetse sometimes spelled tzetze and 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 are obligate parasites that live by feeding on

the blood of vertebrate animals.

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 Cont…
• Tsetse have been extensively studied because of their role in transmitting

disease.

• They have a prominent economic impact in sub-Saharan Africa as

the biological vectors of trypanosomes, which cause human sleeping

sickness and animal trypanosomiasis.

• Tsetse are multivoltine and long-lived, typically producing about four

broods per year, and up to 31 broods over their lifespans.

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 Cont…
• The only genus of medical importance under this family is Glossina
with 3 major groups of tsetse flies;
• 1. Morstans group; mostly referred to as savannah tsetse flies
measuring 7.5-11mm in length(Medium size). They are vectors of
African Trypanosomiasis e.g.
• Glossina morstans morstans
• Glossina swynnertoni
• Glossina pallidipes
• Glossina longipalpis
• N.B. Glossina morstans is the principle vector of sleeping sickness and
geographically found in savannah regions of East, west and central Africa.
• Glossina swynnertoni is found in savannah regions of Tanzania.
• Glossina pallidipes is found in savannah regions of East Africa and some parts
of South Africa
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Cont…
• Fusca group;
• They are referred to as forest flies and are bigger in size. Rarely feed
on man, thus not vectors of sleeping sickness under normal
situations.
• Geographically they found in forests of west Africa and only one
species is restricted to arid areas of East Africa- Glossina Longipenis
• They are majorly responsible for transmission of animal
trypanosomiasis e.g.
• Glossina fusca fusca
• Glossina Longipenis
• Glossina fusca congolensis

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 3. Palpalis group
• They are generally referred to as riverine tsetse flies and mostly found

in forests and edges of forests. Mainly found in west Africa and

species found here are;

• Glossina palpalis – West Africa in forests with rivers

• Glossina fuscipes fuscipes – East Africa(principle vector of Nagana)

• Glossina tachnoides - East Africa

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 Identification of Tsetse flies
• Tsetse can be distinguished from other large flies by two easily

observed features.

• Tsetse fold their wings completely when they are resting so that one

wing rests directly on top of the other over their abdomens.

• Tsetse also have a long proboscis, which extends directly forward and

is attached by a distinct bulb to the bottom of their heads.

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 Cont…
• Head;
• The proboscis are rigid and forwardly projecting
• The palps are long and very close to the proboscis
• Antennae have got 3 segments but the third segment is longer with an arista
having bushy hair only on the upper surface.
• The presence of the hair on the arista and their arrangement is used to
differentiate the species.
• Thorax;
• This bears wings with a pang-shaped Hatched cell between the 4th and 5th
veins.
• Alimentary system;
• Tsetse flies have got a biting mouth parts

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 Cont…
• Fossilized tsetse have been recovered from Florissant Fossil Beds in Colorado, laid

down some 34 million years ago.

• Twenty-three extant species of tsetse flies are known from Africa.

• Tsetse were absent from much of southern and eastern Africa until colonial

times.

• The accidental introduction of rinderpest in 1887 killed most of the cattle in these

parts of Africa and the resulting famine removed much of the human population.
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 Cont…
• Thorny bush ideal for tsetse quickly grew up where there had been

pasture, and was repopulated by wild mammals.

• Tsetse and sleeping sickness soon colonized the whole region, effectively

excluding the reintroduction of farming and animal husbandry.

• Sleeping sickness has been described by some conservationists as "the best

game warden in Africa".

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 Life cycle and Morphology
• Tsetse flies can be seen as independent individuals in two forms: as third-

instar larvae, and as 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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 Life cycle
• The female tsetse fly does not lay eggs but produces larvae, one at a time.

• The larva develops in the uterus over a period of 10 days and is then
deposited fully grown on moist soil or sand in shaded places, usually under
bushes, fallen logs, large stones and buttress roots.

• It buries itself immediately and turns into a pupa.

• The fly emerges 22–60 days later, depending on the temperature.

• Females mate only once in their life and, with optimum availability of food
and breeding habitats, can produce a larva every 10 days.
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 Cont…
• Tsetse next develop a hard external case, the puparium, and become

pupae—small, hard-shelled, oblongs with two distinctive, small, dark

lobes at the tail (breathing) end.

• Tsetse pupae are under 1 cm long. Within the puparial shell, tsetse

complete the last two larval instars and the pupal stage.

• At the end of the pupal stage, tsetse emerge as adult flies.

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 Cont…
• The adults are relatively large flies, with lengths of 0.5-1.5 cm, and have a

recognizable shape or bauplan which makes them easy to distinguish from

other flies.

• Tsetse have large heads, distinctly separated eyes, and unusual antennae.

• The thorax is quite large, while the abdomen is wide rather than elongated

and shorter than the wings.

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Four characteristics definitively separate adult
tsetse from other kinds of flies:

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 Cont…

Fig. 2. Tsetse fly. At rest, the wings are folded

over the abdomen.
PHL 2208 YR 2-2021 (BJP) Fig. 3. Life cycle of Glossina. 18
 Feeding habits of Tsetse flies
• Both females and males suck blood hence both sexes are responsible

for transmission of disease.

• They feed during day light and usually attracted by dark large moving

objects, strikingly blue objects, and by carbon dioxide.

• The species differ in their preferences for source of blood, but most

tsetse flies feed on animals and only accidentally on humans.

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 Cont…
• The most dangerous are those species which are flexible in their

choices of feeding and feed on any available blood source.

• Blood meals are taken every 2-3 days, and frequent blood feeding is

important in the females for retaining larvae in the uterus.

• Blood is taken through proboscis and gets in to the crop and later to

the stomach where digestion takes place.

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 Habitats / Resting places for Tsetse flies
• Tsetse flies rest in forested areas

• Near water collection sites in forests

• Vegetation surrounding villages

• Sacred forests or forests on cemeteries

• Forest edges surrounding plantations e.g. of coffee, cocoa, lantana

camara bushes

• Savannah habits (morstans group).

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 Control of tsetse flies
• Control of tsetse flies is related to behaviour of the flies;
a. Resting position/sites
• Engorged and hungry tsetse flies rest during day and in dark areas and the
sites are humid dark areas.
• They rest under leaves, on trees, branches and more especially lantana
camara branches.
• In rainy seasons, the flies rest high up on the trees and bushes about 3.5m
above the ground.
• In dry seasons they rest downwards about 1.5m above the ground.
• Knowledge od the resting habits tells you the type of insecticide to use.
• Thus tsetse flies spraying is done in dry season only.
• The insecticides normally used are residual organo chlorides.

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 Cont…
• The use of colourful impregnated traps that can be set under the
bushes and trees (Blue- black in colour).
• It can be in the form of nets or screens.

• Raring males in the laboratory and subjecting them to ultra violet

rays to sterilize the males and unable to fertilize the females.

• Insecticide application by hand, motorized applicators and air craft
against adult flies.

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 Cont…
• Action against reservoir involves;
• Previously game hunting but is no longer encouraged due to wildlife
conservation.
• Cattle dipping and treatment to kill resting flies( Decatix acaricide)
• Wild conservation including humans in cases of west Africa
trypanosomiasis
• Environmental management
• Localised bush clearing at strategic localities. E.g. Water sources, crossing
points like bridges though not encouraged now due to environmental
conservation.
• Proper crop management is essential in the elimination of the resting
places for the flies.
• Subjecting male tsetse flies to radiation; thus making them sterile and
incapable of fertilizing the females.

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 Cont…
• Traps in mopping up and long term application which is currently the

used method of control in Uganda.

• N.B; the common traps used to catch tsetse flies are;

• Biconical traps, Vavoua traps, Pyramidal traps, impregnated screens.

• Read and make notes on different types of Traps, Screens, Advantages

and disadvantages of each, placement of traps and screens. !!!!

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