page_title: Parasitic flies of domestic animals
section_title: General characteristics
hierarchical_section_title: Parasitic flies of domestic animals / Nematocera (suborder) / General characteristics
caption_attribution_description: English: Ochlerotatus sp. mosquito biting a human.
context_page_description: Many species of flies of the two-winged type, Order Diptera, such as mosquitoes, horse-flies, blow-flies and warble-flies, cause direct parasitic disease to domestic animals, and transmit organisms that cause diseases. These infestations and infections cause distress to companion animals, and in livestock industry the financial costs of these diseases are high. These problems occur wherever domestic animals are reared. The article is organized following the taxonomic hierarchy of these flies in the phylum Arthropoda, order Insecta. Families and genera of dipteran flies are emphasized rather than many individual species. Disease caused by the feeding activity of the flies is described here under parasitic disease. Disease caused by small pathogenic organisms that pass from the flies to domestic animals is described here under transmitted organisms; prominent examples are provided from the many species.
context_section_description: Antennae are usually long, with many similar and symmetric segments. These are small to very small flies, usually of delicate morphology with relatively long legs and wings. Body and wings are often covered in fine scales. Thorax is distinctly humped, abdomen is elongated. All species of veterinary and medical importance are blood feeders, with various types of mouthparts (these variations do not relate clearly to dipteran taxonomy).
  Lifecycle is a complete metamorphosis with larvae that are nonparasitic, living in environments such as pools of water, soil, and streams. A complete metamorphosis is illustrated by the photograph of Stomoxys eggs, larvae, and adult (Stomoxys are in suborder Brachycera). Only females feed on blood, taking a large meal to support production of several hundred eggs, followed by several more cycles of blood meal followed by egg laying. Males feed on plant nectar and similar sources of sugars.
caption: Aedes aegypti female mosquito engorging with blood.
exif: {}