Leucocytozoonosis
Guides
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
black flies, buffalo gnats, turkey gnats
Simulium is a large genus of black flies in the family Simuliidae, containing nearly 2,000 described species across 38 subgenera. Adult females are obligate blood-feeders that use blade-like mandibles to slice skin and lap pooled blood, while males feed on nectar. The genus includes significant disease vectors, most notably species that transmit Onchocerca volvulus, the nematode causing human onchocerciasis (river blindness). Larval stages are strictly aquatic, inhabiting fast-flowing streams and rivers where they filter-feed using specialized cephalic fans.
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.