Blood-feeder
Guides
Chrysops divisus
deer fly
Chrysops divisus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae. It was described by Walker in 1848. Like other members of the genus Chrysops, it is a blood-feeding fly that is known to bite humans and other mammals. The species has been recorded in the United States, though specific details about its biology and ecology remain limited in the available literature.
Chrysops geminatus
Gemeni Deer Fly, Geminatus Deer Fly
Chrysops geminatus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Wiedemann in 1828. It is distributed across Canada and the United States, with confirmed records from Vermont and other parts of the eastern and central U.S. Like other deer flies, adults are known for their blood-feeding behavior, with females requiring blood meals for egg development.
Chrysops hinei
deer fly
Chrysops hinei is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Daecke in 1907. The species belongs to the genus Chrysops, a diverse group of biting flies commonly known as deer flies or yellow flies. As with other members of Tabanidae, females are blood-feeders while males feed on nectar and other sugary substances. The species is part of the subfamily Chrysopsinae, characterized by patterned wings and diurnal activity patterns.
Chrysops reicherti
deer fly
Chrysops reicherti is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Fairchild in 1937. Like other members of the genus Chrysops, it is a blood-feeding fly known for its painful bites to mammals, including humans. The species occurs in the United States. Very little species-specific documentation exists in the available literature.
Cimex adjunctus
Eastern Bat Bug
Cimex adjunctus, commonly known as the Eastern Bat Bug, is a temporary ectoparasite of bats found across North America. Unlike the common bed bug (Cimex lectularius), this species is specialized on insectivorous bats rather than humans. It feeds on blood but does not remain on its host between meals, instead hiding in roosting sites. The species has been documented from multiple bat hosts including the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), Rafinesque's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus rafinesquii), and the Eastern Small-footed Myotis (Myotis leibii). Research indicates that host association influences genetic variation in salivary protein genes, suggesting host-specific adaptation.
Ctenocephalides canis
dog flea
Ctenocephalides canis is a cosmopolitan flea species in the family Pulicidae that primarily infests domestic dogs and cats as an obligate blood-feeding ectoparasite. It is less adaptable and less widely distributed than the closely related cat flea (C. felis), infesting fewer host species and achieving lower prevalence in most regions. The species has been documented across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Central Asia, with notable populations in Ireland, Austria, Greece, Poland, New Zealand, Brazil, and Uzbekistan. It serves as a vector for parasitic worms and can cause allergic dermatitis in pets.
Echidnophaga
Stick-tight Fleas
Echidnophaga is a genus of fleas in the family Pulicidae, commonly known as stick-tight fleas. Species in this genus are found across Africa, Asia, southern Europe, and Australia. Adults attach firmly to host skin and remain in a single location for extended periods, feeding on blood and causing localized tissue damage. The genus includes notable pests of poultry, rabbits, and other birds and mammals.
Forcipomyia
biting midges, no-see-ums, punkies
Forcipomyia is a large genus of biting midges comprising over 1,000 described species. The genus exhibits remarkable ecological diversity: species in the subgenus Lasiohelea are vertebrate blood-feeders, some species act as ectoparasites on larger insects, and others serve as the exclusive pollinators of cacao (Theobroma cacao), making them essential to chocolate production. This genus belongs to the family Ceratopogonidae and demonstrates one of the highest recorded wing-beat frequencies among insects.
Goniops chrysocoma
Golden-haired Horse Fly
Goniops chrysocoma is the sole species in the monotypic genus Goniops, a horse fly in the family Tabanidae. It is found in North America, with records from the United States including Vermont. The species is characterized by its distinctive golden-haired appearance, which contributes to its common name. As a member of the horse fly family, it belongs to a group of blood-feeding flies known for their painful bites and ecological significance as pollinators and prey for other animals.
Haematopinus suis
Hog Louse, Pig Louse
Haematopinus suis, the hog louse, is one of the largest sucking lice (suborder Anoplura), measuring 5–6 mm in length and visible without magnification. It is an obligate ectoparasite of domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus) and wild boars, spending its entire life cycle on the host. The species feeds exclusively on blood, taking multiple meals daily through piercing-sucking mouthparts. Infestations cause severe irritation, hair loss, reduced growth rates, and anemia, with significant economic impacts on pig husbandry worldwide.
Hybomitra
horse flies
Hybomitra is a genus of horse flies in the family Tabanidae, containing at least 240 described species. The genus includes Hybomitra hinei, which holds the record for the fastest flying insect, with males documented reaching 89 miles per hour while pursuing air rifle pellets. Species in this genus are found across the Holarctic region, with records from Scandinavia, North America, and other temperate regions. As with other horse flies, females are blood-feeders while males feed on nectar.
Lipoptena depressa
Western American deer ked
Lipoptena depressa, the Western American deer ked, is a blood-feeding louse fly (family Hippoboscidae) and ectoparasite specialized on deer. Adults are initially winged but shed wings upon locating a host, after which they remain permanently on the host animal. The species is native to western North America and is one of three Lipoptena species found on the continent.
Nycteribiidae
bat flies, nycteribiid bat flies
Nycteribiidae is a family of Diptera in the superfamily Hippoboscoidea, commonly known as bat flies. These are obligate ectoparasites of bats, feeding exclusively on blood. They exhibit extreme morphological adaptations for parasitism: complete wing loss, highly reduced or absent compound eyes, and a dorsoventrally flattened, spider-like body with backward-folded legs. The family contains approximately 274 described species distributed primarily in the Old World tropics, with some species in the Neotropics and Europe. Most species show high host specificity, often with one-to-one associations with particular bat species.
Ochlerotatus dorsalis
Salt Marsh Mosquito
Ochlerotatus dorsalis is a Holarctic mosquito species with a transcontinental distribution spanning the Palearctic and Nearctic regions. Genetic studies have identified two highly distinctive COI mtDNA phylogroups corresponding to these regions, suggesting Pleistocene vicariance of an ancestral range due to geographical barriers and climatic changes. The species is epidemiologically relevant as a potential pathogen vector.
Pthirus pubis
Crab Louse, Pubic Louse, Crabs
Pthirus pubis is an obligate ectoparasite of humans, the sole species in its genus to infest humans. It is dorsoventrally flattened, wingless, and 1-2 mm in length, with a crab-like appearance due to its broad, short body and specialized clawed legs adapted for grasping coarse human hair. The species has infested humans for approximately 10,000 years, with archaeological evidence from Roman and Medieval Britain, pre-Columbian South America, and southern Peru. Unlike the closely related head and body lice (Pediculus humanus), P. pubis is extremely sedentary, rarely leaving direct contact with the host body, and is transmitted primarily through sexual contact.
Simuliidae
black flies, buffalo gnats, turkey gnats, white socks
Black flies are small, humpbacked flies in the family Simuliidae, comprising over 2,200 formally described species. Only females bite, using serrated mandibles to slash skin and lap pooled blood for egg development. They are vectors of Leucocytozoon parasites causing leucocytozoonosis in birds and, in some regions, filarial worms causing river blindness in humans. Larvae develop exclusively in flowing freshwater, attaching to submerged substrates with specialized hooks.
Simulium longithallum
black fly
Simulium longithallum is a species of black fly in the family Simuliidae, described by Díaz Nájera and Vulcano in 1962. Black flies in this genus are small, blood-feeding dipterans with aquatic larval and pupal stages. Females require blood meals for egg development, while males do not feed on blood. The species is part of a diverse genus containing numerous vectors of disease agents affecting birds and mammals.
Simulium trivittatum
black fly
Simulium trivittatum is a species of black fly in the family Simuliidae. The species belongs to a genus known for transmitting blood parasites that cause leucocytozoonosis, a malaria-like disease in birds. Like other black flies, females are blood-feeders that use jagged mandibles to tear skin and pool blood. The species was described by Malloch in 1913.
Stegopterna mutata
mutated black fly
Stegopterna mutata is a species of black fly in the family Simuliidae, first described by Malloch in 1914 under the basionym Prosimulium mutatum. The species belongs to the tribe Prosimuliini, a group of primitive black flies. Like other simuliids, adults are small, blood-feeding dipterans with aquatic larval stages. The specific epithet "mutata" (Latin for "changed" or "mutated") gives rise to its common name "mutated black fly."
Tabanus laticeps
broad-headed horse fly
Tabanus laticeps is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Hine in 1904. The species is found in the southern United States and Mexico. Like other horse flies, females are blood-feeders while males feed on nectar and other plant fluids. The species name 'laticeps' refers to the characteristically broad head of this species.
Tabanus nigrovittatus
greenhead horse fly, salt marsh greenhead, greenhead fly, greenhead, greenfly
Tabanus nigrovittatus, commonly known as the greenhead horse fly or salt marsh greenhead, is a biting horse fly species endemic to coastal salt marshes of the eastern United States. Adult females are aggressive blood-feeders that require vertebrate blood for egg production, while males do not feed on blood. The species is smaller than most horse flies, approximately the size of a house fly. Larvae develop in intertidal salt marsh mud for one to two years, preying on other invertebrates. Adults emerge in late spring and are most active from late June through August. The species is a significant human and animal pest, with populations managed through black box traps rather than insecticides due to ecological concerns.
Tabanus quinquevittatus
five-striped horse fly
Tabanus quinquevittatus is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae. It is distributed in the United States, with records from Vermont and other states. The species has been studied for seasonal variation in body size and relationships among body size, parity, and fecundity in host-seeking females. Like other horse flies, females are blood-feeders while males feed on nectar.