The closer autumn is, the harder the flies bite. Sometimes it seems that these are not tiny insects, but a real tiger grabbed your foot. Especially when you notice a dodgy bully too late and give him time to prepare a full-fledged “blow”. But why do flies bite? Is it really so pleasant for them to torture innocent people? Or is there another, more significant reason?
Biting flies - who are they?
The truth is that not all types of flies can harm humans. Moreover, the overwhelming majority of these insects is completely harmless, except for the fact that they spoil food by laying their eggs in it. Otherwise, they only hum above their heads, thereby acting on their nerves.
Biting flies are a completely different matter. These creatures, although similar in appearance to their brothers, are still very different from them in their habits. In particular, those who like to use the blood of other creatures. Therefore, it will be quite logical to talk about which flies bite the most and how to distinguish them from peace-loving insects.
Importunate fly-fly
A more common name for this species is the autumn lighter. A similar name is due to the fact that this insect moves to people's homes only with the advent of autumn cold weather. The reason for this behavior is quite simple: if the temperature drops below 8 degrees, the fly dies. Therefore, she climbs into warm rooms in order to save herself from the cool of the night.
Outwardly, the fly-fly is very similar to its harmless relatives, only slightly larger than them. So, an adult has a body length of 5-7 mm. At the same time, the fly itself is gray: there are several dark spots on its belly, and four horizontal stripes of the same color run along the chest.
This fly bites because it needs blood. For her, this is an excellent source of energy, moreover, easily accessible. The proboscis, which is sharp like a razor, helps to penetrate the flesh, which easily cuts both the human and animal epidermis.
Moreover, these biting flies inject a special enzyme into the wounds of their victims, which stops blood clotting. It is he who causes a strong burning sensation, which increases as the toxin spreads through the blood. In addition, such a solution can cause an allergic reaction, which is fraught with high temperature and an attack of nausea.
Coastal Inhabitants
Horsefly is one of the species of flies that lives mainly near ponds and cattle clusters. Such a resounding name for the species came from the fact that during a bite an insect becomes defenseless, as if an invisible veil covers its eyes.
Start with the fact that these biting flies are very similar to mosquitoes. That is, only females drink blood, since it is needed to conceive offspring. As for the males, they are vegetarians and feed on plant nectar. Therefore, only "girls" need to be afraid, which also have a very persistent character.
The appearance of horseflies largely depends on its subspecies. So, the length of his body can range from a few millimeters to two centimeters. For example, bull calf grows up to 2.5 cm, which is why its bites are extremely painful. As for color, this species is easily recognizable by the red-yellow horizontal stripes that encircle the abdomen of the insect.
The danger that the gadfly is lurking
Gadfly is another dangerous species of flies for humans. These insects live mainly near animal pastures, since they are their main purpose. Unlike their biting relatives, they do not feed on the blood of other creatures. Moreover, recently, scientists have discovered that adults do not need food at all. They are quite satisfied with the stocks that they acquired while being at the larval stage.
However, a completely justifiable question arises: why then do they bite animals? The fact is that during the bite they lay their eggs under the skin of the victim, thereby providing them with an excellent source of food. Let's say frankly that after the appearance of larvae from eggs, the poor animal experiences terrible pain, as they literally eat his body from the inside.
But the main danger is that gadflies can lay their eggs on human skin. Let this happen rarely, but the consequences of this accident are extremely sad. After all, the only reliable way to get rid of the larvae is to partially remove the infected area of the flesh.
Tsetse fly
Central Africa is home to the most dangerous of all biting flies - tsetse. Science knows that this insect is a carrier of sleeping sickness, which affects about 10 thousand people a year. It should be noted that most of the infected die, as this disease is practically untreatable, especially in the later stages.
At the same time, the tsetse fly itself calmly tolerates the influence of the pathogen of infection. As for the reasons, this insect eats blood. Moreover, he does not care whether it is human or animal, the main thing is that it should be plenty. Fortunately, modern medicine is getting closer and closer every year to create a vaccine that can permanently protect the human immune system from this deadly virus.