FLIES WANT YOUR BLOOD TOO, WHY?

Q. Mosquitoes are seeking blood but what do flies get out of bitting?

A. From tiny midges in the Ceratopogonidae family to large horse flies in the Tabanidae family, they, too, want your blood.

The many species of biting flies may differ from
mosquitoes in appearance and habits, but they are all members of the group known as true flies , two-winged flying insects in the order Diptera.

Biting flies often have other primary targets , like horses, but will settle for a liquid meal of HUMAN BLOOD. Like mosquitoes, they have mouth parts that pierce or lacerate skin, and they inject an anticoagulant along with their saliva to keep the blood running.

The females are the usual suspects, as they need a blood meal from a vertebrate to get the protein needed to develop their eggs.

Fly bites can cause irritation, pain, blood loss and, in some cases, severeallergic reactions. Several species of biting fly can spread diseases to humans, but most of those found in the United States do not. A notable and occasional exception is one species of deer fly, Chrysops discalis, which can spread tularemia, also known as rabbit fever. The things that help flies find people include exhaled carbon dioxide, moisture from breathing or perspiration, dark clothing and movement.

Source: NY Times