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Host Location and Feeding Patterns in Tsetse

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Abstract

Examples from recent literature are used to discuss the host location behaviour of tsetse in relation to feeding patterns. Tsetse recognise potential hosts by their visual and olfactory characteristics. These, and mechanical stimulation, will activate tsetse and initiate host-oriented responses. Approach to a stationary host is by upwind flight modulated by olfactory stimuli with visual responses only at short range, while the approach to a moving host is largely mediated by visual input. Non-random feeding patterns, even where host and tsetse occupy the same habitat, may be explained by host responses to tsetse attack. There is little evidence of long range discrimination between hosts. Some epidemiological implications of the resulting feeding patterns are discussed, and the host location behaviour of tsetse is compared with that of other insects including mosquitoes.

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  1. International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Coastal Field Station, P.O. Box 80804, Mombasa, Kenya

    W. F. Snow

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Snow, W.F. Host Location and Feeding Patterns in Tsetse. Int J Trop Insect Sci 1, 23–30 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400000084

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