HEMATOPHAGY
Insects that fall under this category are:
Most blood feeding Hemiptera are very small in size, specifically in relation so their host where they live and feed (Davies 1988). They feed mainly on the blood of vertebrates such as humans, birds and bats (Dolling 1991). The mouthparts of these blood-sucking insects are specifically adapted to pierce through thick skin with its rostrum (mandible & maxilla) which is then followed by sucking the blood (Schuh & Slater 1995). The maxillary points are differently shaped on either side, the left side being straight and the right side resembling a curved hook (Goddard & deShazo 2009). The stylets come together in the middle section of the rostrum forming a small salivary canal and a much larger food canal (Davies 1988). The maxillary stylets differ in shape and size, with the right side being a curved hook structure and the left being straight. The tips have tiny teeth which is moved fast in an alternating motion which creates the pathway through the skin into the host (Reinhardt & Siva-Jothy 2007). Once the skin has been penetrated the pressure from the blood vessels underneath the epidermal layer of skin releases, with complete engorgement taking approximately 5 minutes (Goddars & deShazo 2009). The entire process takes no longer than 10 minutes of physical contact with the host, whereby the insect will not feed again until it has undergone moulting or the food has completed been digested (Reinhardt & Siva-Jothy 2007). |