#Tsetse Fly

[dailybugfacts]

Learned of another member of the "milk"-making arthropod gang! Well, more like a group of them:

It's the members of the genus Glossina, also known as Tsetse Flies (and Tzeze Flies as well as Tik-Tik Flies)!

The mothers feed them with the "milk" until they reach the third larval stage. They remain within the mother until this stage (so the milk-like substance is given internally, kinda like the Pacific Beetle Cockroach example lol).

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TODAY'S FACT IS

Did you know that Glossina Longipennis (yes that's its name) is a species of tsetse fly native to Kenya and Tanzania?

Most tsetse flies prefer a more humid environment but not these ones. These tsetse flies are typically found in drier environments.

Tsetse flies in general participate in adenotrophic viviparity, meaning the eggs hatch in the mother's uterus and are later birthed once the larvae is ready to pupate. For those short few hours in mother's uterus but out of the egg, the larvae feed on a milk-like substance produced by the mother.

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[bluebutlikenotalways]

I can’t believe I forgot to post this

[sybilhallward]

Actually you know what I dislike most fibromyalgia related tattoos but a photorealistic tsetse fly on my arm would be so fucking funny

[feral-babe]

I finished the first 6 cards in a tarot deck I’m working on! I have descriptions of each card here on my website

💜

[whats-in-a-sentence]

Indeed, the parasite is dependent on its vector and therefore confined to the tsetse fly belt across sub-Saharan Africa (see figure 3.7).

"Plagues Upon the Earth: Disease and the Course of Human History" - Kyle Harper

[tenth-sentence]

Indeed, the parasite is dependent on its vector and therefore confined to the tsetse fly belt across sub-Saharan Africa (see figure 3.7).

"Plagues Upon the Earth: Disease and the Course of Human History" - Kyle Harper

[machazer]

Tse Tse 🤣 my first dumb thought from my childhood.

from my rubbish.

[farmerstrend]

AI Shortages Slow Milk Production Efforts in Western Kenya

Dairy farmers in Western Kenya have decried difficulties in accessing Artificial Insemination (AI) services for their animals, hindering efforts to boost milk production in the region. Suzan Ouma, who manages Moo and More Dairy Farm in Butula, Busia County, says farmers rely on private extension service providers, who sometimes deliver the wrong semen or use expired samples on their dairy…

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

The one and only rule of biology is that for every rule, there is at least one exception. Insects are oviparous, except when they're not. Case in point: the tsetse fly. Unlike other insects, females only retain one fertilised egg at a time, and the larvae develop in a uterus just like a mammal! During this time, the larvae is also sustained with a milk-like substance until they're 'born' about nine days after fertilisation.

(Image: A mama tsetse fly (Glossina morsitans) giving birth by Lee et al. 2020)

[www-proxxicles-com]

BUGS BUGS BUGS! But the good kind.

Alrighty, let’s go through all the mobs and their features! Left to right, top to bottom, image one through image two. Since this’ll take FOREVER, use the read more! Look forward to a part two focusing on even more bugs!

SNAIL

Snails spawn in forests and swamps. Snails leave a harvestable trail of slime that can be affected by their food- make it bouncy (by feeding them blueberries), fast (raspberries) or honeyed (honey bottle). Snails come in various shades of browns, grays, greens and ruddy berry colors.

GIANT WATER BUG

Spawning in the beaches (any body of water, really), water bugs are defensive and will attack if you get close. When tamed by obtaining their eggs, water bugs make for good guard dogs- they can be commanded to stay, follow, wander, and by shift-clicking- set to neutral, passive or aggressive. GWBs come in shades of browns and blacks.

SLUG

Slugs spawn in jungles, and leave behind trails that can be used to make redstone components with upgraded signal strength. They come in shades influenced by real-life slugs- pictured is the rare banana slug.

MEALYBUG

Ah, mealybugs, the bane of any farmer. Spawning on crops, mealies eat and suck at crops until they’re sated. However, if you’ve befriended any ants, these bugs become a source of hearty honeydew, which when bottled makes for an incredible food source. Mealybugs only have one color- a dusty, pale white.

FLY

Flies spawn around carrion blocks, buzzing around and being general nuisances. Flies can be tamed by feeding them rotten flesh, and can swarm around attackers on command, descending down from the heavens to make enemies’ lives living hell. Keep an eye out for the rare tsetse and horse flies, larger and more dangerous breeds. Flies have two variants- brown and dark grey.

LIGHTNING BUG / FIREFLY

During the nighttime, look out for fireflies in the distance (since they only spawn during the night). Fireflies can be bottled and tamed with fruits, and can be placed down for a light show. Non-entity fireflies spawn around Naturality’s frog species and certain grasses, if you want the two-pixel variation. Fireflies can be dyed both as entities and as bottles, and dyeing them colors their lights. Fireflies come in a few different variants, all based on real-life species.

COCKROACH

Cockroaches spawn in Naturality’s new caves (the limestone cave and the sunken jungle) as well as in the new beach grottos. Cockroaches can be used as clean-up-crews, consuming detritus and fertilizing farms as they make their way around. Smaller cockroaches have a tendency to swarm players just like flies, and all cockroaches can be tamed. Cockroaches come in a horde of variants based on real roaches, like B. giganteus (giant cave), B. dubia, M. longipennis and B. germanica (German).

MAGGOT

Maggots are the larvae of flies, found in carcasses. They can be itemized and used to tame other creatures, if you’re a monster.

DRAGONFLY

Dragonflies spawn around bodies of water, attacking other insects to eat their fill. They can be tamed and their wings used to upgrade elytras. Dragonflies also can be used as the poor man’s elytra- allowing you to hover and slow-fall. Dragonflies come in some green and blue colors, and one iridescent one.

APHID

Another crop-destroyer, make a farm and the aphids will come. Unlike mealies, they can’t be harvested, only itemized or used in fiber and wood farms after being tamed with offerings of plants. Aphids have one variant- green.

ISOPOD

Isopods spawn in forests, and are used to culture molds and other fungi. They’re basically crustacean puppies. Also see my prior isopost for more colors. Pictured is the rubber duckie variant- the true amount of isos is a secret :)

BUTTERFLY

Butterflies spawn nearly everywhere during the day, and during the night are replaced with moths. Butterflies are basically bees, only instead of honey, they’re used to obtain nectar, which functions as natural potions that give different effects depending on what flowers they come from. Moths, on the other hand, work as glares- they dislike darkness and will point it out if given some nectar as a treat. Butterflies come in a horde of variants.

LADYBEETLE / LADYBUG

Ladybugs and other beetles of their ilk spawn in the plains, and are useful for their shells- which can be made into tough armors. Ladybugs suck at crops, and if tamed will trawl through your fields, picking only the good bits out.

GIANT ISOPOD

Giant isos spawn in the deep seas, and make a living cultivating mosses in the depths. Perhaps you could gain their trust and use them for your own good? The ways of these depth-dwellers are a mystery. They come in three variants- light, dark and pink.

Congrats! You made it down here. Have a cookie 🍪

[pastelplastic]

Sinestro asks his ring what the most deadly animal on Earth is, so that he might best one in single combat and bring it to Jordan as a courtship gift.

The ring shows him a mosquito.

As this is not what one might consider an impressive foe, Sinestro asks what the second most deadly animal on Earth is. The ring shows him a human. Still a Green Lantern and therefore not yet prepared to murder a civilian in cold blood, Sinestro asks what the third most deadly animal on Earth is. The ring shows him a dog. Sin knows just enough about human culture to be aware that this won't go over well, so he asks what the fourth most deadly animal on earth is. The ring shows him a tsetse fly.

At this point, Hal arrives and Sinestro berates him for living on an inferior planet with no honorable adversaries and flounces off to be indignant in outer space while Hal is left standing there wondering wtf just happened.

[bluebutlikenotalways]

We always chance the unknown, but once we find it there’s a chance that it might not live up to our expectations.

By making the unknown known we have made it mundane.

By removing a wrestler of their mask they lose that charming mystery.

Why remove that bit of joy from life?

Because I’m a dick

[sybilhallward]

does anybody know why my grandparents have known all my life what a tsetse fly is? my best guess is during fascist colonisation efforts in africa it became common knowledge in italy that they were dangerous but tbh i'd like to know if there's a more innocent reason

[feral-babe]

The Empress card in Tarot is a symbol of abundance, nurturing, and the creative forces of nature. She represents fertility, growth, and the connection to the natural world. The Empress is often associated with motherhood, beauty, and the cultivation of life.

Tsetse flies are known to provide care for their offspring by producing a milk-like substance very similar to what mammals produce - This nurturing behavior reflects the Empress's qualities of fostering growth and ensuring the survival of future generations.

Additionally, the Empress embodies the natural beauty and harmony of the environment. Despite the negative perception associated with tsetse flies, they are still part of the intricate web of life. This card reminds us to appreciate the diversity and interdependence of all living beings, even those that are often misunderstood or deemed undesirable. It encourages us to recognize the beauty and interconnectedness of nature and embrace the inherent creative and nurturing energies within ourselves.

Prints available on Redbubble and Inprnt

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[written-nature]

The most devastating protozoan infections are transmitted by biting insects. The various form of leishmaniasis that lurk in tropical climates are caused by vector-borne protozoa. Sleeping sickness is a devastating disease in Africa transmitted by tsetse flies.

"Plagues Upon the Earth: Disease and the Course of Human History" - Kyle Harper

[crevicedwelling]

Today I learned that flies can technically be pregnant.

I did not want to learn this. why the heck are Louse flies so gross and weird.

not just louse flies, but plenty of sarcophagid flies are too! they drop off eggs that hatch instantly or give live birth to larvae, which gives them an advantage in gobbling up meat or perhaps wiggling into what they parasitize (not all flesh flies are scavengers, some are parasitoids of insects or reptiles!)

the infamous tsetse flies also have a pretty weird reproductive strategy: instead of laying a lot of eggs at once like most flies, a tsetse fly gestates a single larva in her uterus (like you mammals out there) and feeds it on a milky secretion she produces. she won’t “give birth” until the larva is ready to pupate, so it’s very rare to find tsetse larvae.

parasitic and micropredatory (bloodsucking) lifestyles do some weird things to flies…