Medical-entomology
Guides
Paederus obliteratus
Paederus obliteratus is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, first described by J.L. LeConte in 1878. It is one of many Paederus species known for containing pederin, a toxic compound in their hemolymph that can cause dermatitis and blistering when contacting human skin. The species occurs across eastern and southern United States. Like other members of its genus, it is a predatory beetle found in various terrestrial habitats.
Pediculus humanus
Human Louse
Pediculus humanus is an obligate ectoparasite of humans comprising two subspecies: P. h. humanus (body louse) and P. h. capitis (head louse). This wingless insect has been associated with humans throughout recorded history and serves as a vector for several serious human diseases including epidemic typhus, trench fever, and relapsing fever. The body louse is larger and more robust than the head louse, with females capable of laying up to 295 eggs in their lifetime under optimal conditions. Both subspecies feed exclusively on human blood and complete their entire life cycle on the host.
Pediculus humanus capitis
Human Head Louse, Head Louse
The human head louse is an obligate ectoparasite specialized for life on human scalp hair. Unlike its close relative the body louse, it has remained associated with hair rather than clothing throughout human evolution. Populations in many regions have developed widespread resistance to pyrethrin and permethrin insecticides, complicating control efforts. Transmission occurs primarily through direct head-to-head contact, with infestations clustering in settings where children interact closely.
Pediculus humanus humanus
Human Body Louse, Body Louse
Pediculus humanus humanus is a wingless, dorsoventrally flattened insect that parasitizes humans exclusively. Unlike its sibling subspecies P. h. capitis (head louse), it inhabits clothing and bedding, moving to skin only for blood meals. It serves as the primary vector for epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever—diseases that have shaped human history, particularly during wars and famines. Genetic studies confirm head and body lice are conspecific, with body lice representing a more recently derived form adapted to clothing.
Phortica
Phortica is a genus of small flies in the family Drosophilidae, subfamily Steganinae. Several species are medically significant as biological vectors of the zoonotic eyeworm Thelazia callipaeda, which causes ocular infections in humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. The genus includes at least five species in Europe and the Middle East, with P. variegata and P. okadai being the best-documented vectors. These flies exhibit unusual zoophilic feeding behaviors, including lachryphagy (tear-feeding) in adult males of some species. The genus has gained increasing attention due to climate-driven range shifts and expanding transmission of thelaziosis.
Piophilidae
cheese skipper flies, skipper flies, cheese flies, ham skippers, bacon flies
Piophilidae are a family of small Diptera commonly known as cheese skipper or skipper flies. Most species are scavengers specialized on animal products, carrion, and fungi. The family is notable for larvae that possess an unusual leaping ability, achieved by grasping their posterior with mouth hooks and releasing to catapult themselves. Several species have forensic and medical significance, including Piophila casei, a cosmopolitan pest of cured meats and cheeses whose larvae can cause enteric myiasis in humans.
Prosimulium mixtum
Mixed-up Black Fly
Prosimulium mixtum is a species of black fly in the family Simuliidae, commonly known as the mixed-up black fly. It is native to North America and has been studied in the context of spring snowmelt environments and physiological responses to environmental stressors. The species is part of the Prosimulium fuscum/mixtum complex, which has historically caused taxonomic confusion. Adults are small blood-feeding flies, with females requiring blood meals for egg development.
Prostigmata
Prostigs
Prostigmata is a suborder of mites in the order Trombidiformes, comprising the majority of 'sucking' mites within the Acariformes. The group exhibits extraordinary ecological diversity, including plant-feeding pests, vertebrate and invertebrate parasites, predators, and free-living forms in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Notable members include spider mites (Tetranychidae), gall mites (Eriophyidae), harvest mites (Trombiculidae), and Demodex mites. The suborder is taxonomically complex, currently divided into four infraorders: Anystina, Eleutherengona, Eupodina, and Labidostommatina.
Psychodomorpha
Psychodomorpha is a nematoceran infraorder of flies comprising three families—Psychodidae, Blephariceridae, and Tanyderidae—plus the superfamily Scatopsoidea (Canthyloscelidae, Scatopsidae, Valeseguyidae). These flies are generally small to minute with hairy or scaled wings and long, often multi-segmented antennae. The group includes moth flies, sand flies, and other obscure dipterans with diverse aquatic and semi-aquatic larval habitats.
Pulex
human flea (for P. irritans)
Pulex is a genus of fleas in the family Pulicidae, established by Linnaeus in 1758. The genus comprises six to seven recognized species, with Pulex irritans (the human flea) being the most notable and widespread. The remaining species are restricted to the Nearctic and Neotropical realms. Members of this genus are laterally compressed, wingless ectoparasites adapted for blood-feeding on mammals.
Reduvius
Reduvius is a large genus of assassin bugs (family Reduviidae) containing approximately 197 species. The genus is one of the most speciose in the assassin bug family. Most species occur in arid and semi-arid regions of the Afrotropical, Oriental, and Palearctic realms. Only three species are New World endemics, with Reduvius personatus (the masked hunter) being cosmopolitan and introduced to the Western Nearctic. Species range from 8–22 mm in length.
Sarcophaginae
Typical Flesh Flies
Sarcophaginae is a diverse subfamily of flesh flies comprising at least 60 genera and over 1,800 species worldwide, with the highest diversity in the Neotropical region. These calyptrate flies are characterized by their association with decomposing organic matter, including carrion, feces, and decaying material. Many species exhibit synanthropic behavior, thriving in human-modified environments. Their life histories encompass necrophagy, coprophagy, and scavenging, with some species documented in association with eusocial wasp nests. Species identification relies heavily on male genitalia due to uniform external chaetotaxy.
Sarcoptes scabiei
Scabies Mite, Itch Mite
Sarcoptes scabiei is a parasitic mite that burrows into the epidermis of mammals, causing scabies in humans and sarcoptic mange in animals. The mite has a cosmopolitan distribution and infests numerous host species including humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Adult females create characteristic S-shaped burrows in the stratum corneum where they deposit eggs. The disease produces intense pruritus through host immune responses to mites, eggs, and fecal pellets. Different host-adapted variants exist, though cross-infectivity between closely related hosts has been documented.
Sclerodermus macrogaster
Sclerodermus macrogaster is a small parasitic wasp in the family Bethylidae, native to the southeastern United States. The species gained attention in 2018 when it was documented for the first time infesting a home in North America, following a report from Florida where a resident was stung. Adults are typically wingless and easily mistaken for ants. The species parasitizes wood-boring beetles, which occasionally leads to co-infestation of structures where such beetles are present.
Sepedomerus macropus
Liverfluke Snail Predator Fly
A marsh fly in the family Sciomyzidae, native to the American tropics and subtropics. The larvae are specialized predators of lymnaeid pond snails, which serve as intermediate hosts for the liver fluke Fasciola gigantica. The species has been intentionally introduced to Hawaii, Guam, and Thailand as a biological control agent for snail vectors of fascioliasis. In Hawaii, introduced populations have become invasive, threatening native lymnaeid snail species including the endangered Newcomb's snail.
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.
Siphonaptera
fleas, pireler (Turkish)
Siphonaptera (fleas) are small, wingless, holometabolous insects that are obligate ectoparasites of mammals and birds. Adults are 2–5 mm long, bilaterally flattened, and possess enlarged hind legs adapted for jumping. Larvae are legless, worm-like, and feed on organic debris including blood clots and adult flea feces. The order comprises approximately 2,500 described species, with roughly 94% parasitizing mammals and 6% specializing on birds. Some species are significant vectors of human and animal pathogens, including plague, typhus, and tularemia.
Stomoxyini
Stomoxyini is a tribe of biting flies within the family Muscidae. Members are hematophagous and of recognized medico-veterinary importance, with documented roles in transmitting pathogens to humans and livestock. The tribe includes approximately nine genera, notably *Stomoxys* (stable flies), *Haematobia* (horn flies), and *Haematobosca*. These flies are distributed globally but have been specifically documented as disease vectors in North African Maghreb countries.
Tabanidae
Horse and Deer Flies, Horse-flies, Deer flies, Gadflies, Clegs, Green-headed flies
Tabanidae is a family of large, agile true flies comprising approximately 4,455 described species worldwide. Adults are characterized by prominent compound eyes, with females possessing widely separated eyes and males having eyes that nearly touch. Females of most species are blood-feeding ectoparasites of mammals, using blade-like mouthparts to lacerate skin and lap blood for egg development, while males feed exclusively on nectar. Larvae are predaceous and develop in semiaquatic or moist soil habitats. The family includes three well-known subfamilies: Tabaninae (horse flies), Chrysopsinae (deer flies), and Pangoniinae.
Tabanus fuscicostatus
Tabanus fuscicostatus is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Hine in 1906. The species has been the subject of population-level research examining how parity rates—the proportion of females that have previously oviposited—respond to changes in host availability. Like other horse flies, adults are likely blood-feeders with females requiring blood meals for egg development, while larvae are typically predatory or scavenging in aquatic or semi-aquatic environments.
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.
Triatoma gerstaeckeri
kissing bug, blood-sucking conenose
Triatoma gerstaeckeri is a triatomine bug (subfamily Triatominae) and a documented vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan parasite causing Chagas disease. Adults measure 20–30 mm in length. The species occurs from the southwestern United States (New Mexico, Texas) through northeastern Mexico, occupying dry scrubland habitats with strong associations to woodrat (Neotoma) nests. It exhibits paurometabolous development with five nymphal instars before adulthood. The species is notable for its relatively high T. cruzi infection rates in some populations and its propensity for peridomestic occurrence near human habitation.
Triatoma indictiva
kissing bug
Triatoma indictiva is a blood-sucking assassin bug in the subfamily Triatominae, commonly known as a "kissing bug." It is a documented vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease. The species occurs in Mexico and the southern United States, particularly Arizona and Texas. Adults measure 20–30 mm in length and are characterized by a pear-shaped body, black coloration with red lateral markings, and a tapered proboscis. Like other triatomines, it is primarily associated with vertebrate hosts in natural and peridomestic habitats.
Triatoma lecticularia
kissing bug
Triatoma lecticularia is a kissing bug in the subfamily Triatominae, a group of blood-feeding assassin bugs. It is a known vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease. The species has been documented in North America and Mexico, with records extending to northwestern Mexico where it has been introduced. Like other triatomines, it is an obligate hematophagous insect requiring blood meals for development and reproduction. It has been found in dog kennels in Texas, where it poses transmission risks to canines.
Triatoma protracta
western bloodsucking conenose
Triatoma protracta is a blood-feeding assassin bug in the subfamily Triatominae, commonly known as the western bloodsucking conenose. Native to western North America, it serves as a vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan causing Chagas disease, though its vector efficiency is considered secondary to some congeners due to its relatively long development time and defecation behavior. The species is primarily associated with woodrat (Neotoma) nests and occasionally invades human dwellings, where it may bite and cause allergic reactions. Laboratory studies indicate egg-to-adult development averages 6.7 months with 72.5% egg eclosion rates.
Triatoma recurva
kissing bug, blood-sucking conenose
Triatoma recurva is a kissing bug (Triatominae) native to Mexico and the southwestern United States. It is a blood-feeding assassin bug that serves as a vector for Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite causing Chagas disease. The species has been documented from its natural host, the ringtail (Bassariscus astutus), and is found in domestic and peri-domestic environments. Laboratory studies indicate slower development and higher feeding requirements compared to related species, with egg-to-adult development exceeding 8.5 months.
Triatoma rubida
kissing bug, Arizona kissing bug
Triatoma rubida is a hematophagous assassin bug and important potential vector of Chagas disease in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Laboratory studies demonstrate it has the shortest egg-to-adult development time (~4 months) among comparable species, with high survival rates and rapid defecation behavior that enhances vector competence. In southern Arizona, the species is primarily associated with white-throated woodrat (Neotoma albigula) nests, with dispersal flights occurring from late May through mid-July when adults may be attracted to artificial lights and invade human dwellings. Females consistently defecate while feeding (93%), unlike males and immature stages, increasing transmission risk. The species shows 41.5-66% prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in some populations and has been documented feeding on humans.
Ulomoides
Chinese beetle, Chinese weevil, peanut beetle, cancer beetle, asthma beetle, gorgojo chino
Ulomoides is a genus of darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae) native to Asia. The most well-known species, Ulomoides dermestoides, has spread globally due to human cultivation for alleged medicinal purposes. Members of this genus are stored product pests that feed on grain and grain products. The beetles produce defensive quinones that have cytotoxic properties.
Wasmannia auropunctata
little fire ant, electric ant
Wasmannia auropunctata, commonly known as the little fire ant or electric ant, is a small invasive ant native to Central and South America. It has spread to tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, including Florida, Hawaii, the Caribbean, Africa, and the Pacific Islands. The species is known for its painful sting relative to its size and is listed among the world's most destructive invasive species. It exhibits facultative reproductive polymorphism, with some populations reproducing sexually and others clonally.
Wohlfahrtia vigil
fox maggot, myiasis fly
Wohlfahrtia vigil is a flesh fly (Sarcophagidae) known for causing myiasis in mammals. The species has been studied for its laboratory rearing methods and behavioral characteristics. Adults are active during warmer months and females deposit larvae on or near hosts rather than laying eggs.