Blood Feeders
140 species with this diet
African Horse Fly
Tabanus biguttatus
A large tropical horse fly that transmits animal trypanosomiasis in Africa. It is an important veterinary pest across su...
African Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles funestus
A major malaria vector in sub-Saharan Africa whose larvae develop in slow-moving stream margins. Prefers shaded, vegetat...
Amami Rabbit Flea
Ctenocephalides nakagawai
A flea species associated with the endangered Amami rabbit on Amami-Oshima Island, Japan. Part of the unique fauna of th...
American Horse Fly
Tabanus americanus
One of the largest horse flies in North America with a dark brown body and conspicuous green or purple iridescent eyes. ...
Arabiensis Mosquito
Anopheles arabiensis
A member of the Anopheles gambiae complex that thrives in drier, more arid conditions. It feeds on both humans and cattl...
Arctic Mosquito
Aedes nigripes
A large, dark-bodied mosquito common across the Arctic tundra. Females emerge in enormous swarms after snowmelt to blood...
Asian Giant Hornet
Vespa mandarinia
The worlds largest hornet. A single colony can kill an entire hive of 30,000 honey bees in just a few hours. Their venom...
Asian Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles stephensi
An urban malaria mosquito that breeds in water storage tanks and cisterns. It is the primary malaria vector in Indian an...
Asian Tiger Mosquito
Aedes albopictus
A striking black mosquito with a single white stripe down the thorax and banded legs. It is a highly invasive species sp...
Australian Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles farauti
A pale-winged Anopheles mosquito that is the dominant malaria vector in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanua...
Autumn Horse Fly
Tabanus autumnalis
A large greyish horse fly active in late summer and autumn. It has striking green-banded eyes and a persistent biting ha...
Badger Flea
Paraceras melis
A large flea specialized to parasitize European badgers. It is found in badger setts and is one of the largest flea spec...
Band-eyed Brown Horse Fly
Tabanus bromius
A common European horse fly with distinctive banded eyes. It is one of the most frequent biters of cattle across Europe....
Barn Swallow Bug
Oeciacus vicarius
A cimicid ectoparasite of cliff swallows and barn swallows in North America. It can bite humans in buildings after swall...
Bed Bug
Cimex lectularius
Obligate blood-feeding parasites of humans. Can survive up to a year without feeding. Have made a dramatic worldwide res...
Biting Midge
Culicoides impunctatus
A tiny, gray, blood-sucking fly notorious in Scotland and Scandinavia as the Highland midge. Swarms can be so dense they...
Biting Midge (No-See-Um)
Culicoides imicola
A tiny biting midge that is the primary Old World vector of bluetongue virus and African horse sickness virus. It breeds...
Black Horse Fly
Tabanus atratus
A very large entirely black horse fly and one of the biggest flies in North America. Females are persistent blood-feeder...
Black-Tailed Deer Fly
Chrysops niger
A small dark deer fly with mostly blackened wings and green iridescent eyes. It is an aggressive daytime biter commonly ...
Blandford Fly
Simulium posticatum
A notorious black fly that causes severe allergic reactions with its bite around the Blandford area of Dorset. Females n...
Blood-red Click Beetle
Ampedus sanguinolentus
A striking click beetle with deep blood-red elytra and a black head and pronotum. Larvae develop in the decaying heartwo...
Blood-red Cymothoe
Cymothoe sangaris
A strikingly sexually dimorphic butterfly where males are vivid blood-red and females are brown with white bands. It is ...
Brevipalpis Tsetse Fly
Glossina brevipalpis
The largest species of tsetse fly, with a robust body and short palps from which its name derives. It inhabits thicket a...
Buffalo Fly
Haematobia irritans exigua
A small blood-feeding fly closely related to the horn fly, found primarily in Southeast Asia and Australia. It is a majo...
Cat Flea
Ctenocephalides felis
The most common flea on both cats and dogs worldwide. Can jump up to 150 times its body length. A single female can prod...
Cattle Sucking Louse
Linognathus vituli
A blood-sucking louse found on calves and young cattle worldwide. It has a distinctive long narrow head adapted for pier...
Chagasi Sandfly
Lutzomyia evansi
A small sandfly found in northern Colombia and Venezuela that is an important vector of Leishmania infantum chagasi, cau...
Chicken Body Louse
Menacanthus stramineus
The most damaging louse of domestic poultry, feeding on feathers, skin, and blood. Heavy infestations cause feather loss...
Chigoe Flea
Tunga penetrans
A tiny tropical flea whose fertilized females burrow into the skin of the feet, causing painful swelling called tungiasi...
Common Bat Fly
Basilia nana
A tiny, completely wingless spider-like fly that parasitizes bats. Its body is so highly modified for ectoparasitism tha...
Common Gnat
Culex modestus
A small brownish mosquito widespread across Europe and Central Asia that breeds in marshes and rice paddies. It is a com...
Common House Mosquito
Culex pipiens
A ubiquitous pale brown mosquito found in urban and suburban environments. It is the primary vector of West Nile virus i...
Common Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles quadrimaculatus
A freshwater mosquito that was the primary malaria vector in the eastern United States. Larvae float horizontally at the...
Conenose Bug
Triatoma protracta
A kissing bug native to the western United States that commonly enters homes to feed on sleeping residents. Its bite can...
Congo Floor Maggot Fly
Auchmeromyia senegalensis
A yellowish-brown blow fly whose larvae are unique among Diptera in being temporary ectoparasites that feed on sleeping ...
Dark Giant Horse Fly
Tabanus sudeticus
The largest horse fly in the British Isles, dark brown with a robust build. Females deliver an extremely painful bite to...
Dark Kissing Bug
Panstrongylus megistus
A large triatomine bug and important Chagas disease vector in Brazil. It has adapted to live in both sylvatic and domest...
Deer Fly (Chrysops)
Chrysops silacea
A medium-sized fly with striking patterned wings and bright green eyes. It is the primary vector of Loa loa, the African...
Deer Ked
Lipoptena cervi
A flattened, reddish-brown blood-sucking fly that sheds its wings upon finding a deer host. It clings tenaciously to the...
Dimidiata Deer Fly
Chrysops dimidiata
A medium-sized deer fly with distinctly banded wings, found in West African rainforests. It serves as a secondary vector...
Dog Flea
Ctenocephalides canis
A flea historically associated with domestic dogs but actually less common on dogs than the cat flea. Distinguished by i...
Eastern Bat Bug
Cimex adjunctus
A blood-feeding ectoparasite primarily of bats in eastern North America. It can bite humans when bat colonies are remove...
Eastern Tree Hole Mosquito
Aedes triseriatus
A forest mosquito that breeds in water-filled tree holes and discarded tires. It is the primary vector of La Crosse ence...
Elephant Louse
Haematomyzus elephantis
A highly specialized louse found only on elephants, with piercing mouthparts adapted to penetrate the thick pachyderm sk...
European Bat Bug
Cimex pipistrelli
A cimicid bug that parasitizes pipistrelle and other bat species across Europe. It may invade living spaces when bats va...
European Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles atroparvus
A medium-sized Anopheles mosquito that was the principal malaria vector in northern Europe before the disease was elimin...
Fusca Tsetse Fly
Glossina fusca
A large, dark-colored tsetse fly that inhabits dense forest environments. It feeds primarily on wild forest animals and ...
Geniculatus Kissing Bug
Panstrongylus geniculatus
A large, widespread triatomine found from Mexico to Argentina that typically inhabits armadillo burrows. It has been imp...
Giant Armadillo Flea
Tunga caecata
A burrowing flea related to the chigoe flea that parasitizes armadillos in South America. Like its relative, the gravid ...
Glacier Black Fly
Prosimulium alpestre
A small black fly whose larvae develop in fast-flowing alpine streams. Adults are among the earliest insects active afte...
Glossina Austeni Tsetse Fly
Glossina austeni
A small, dark-colored tsetse fly found in coastal forests and thickets of East Africa. It is a vector of both human and ...
Golubatz Fly
Simulium colombaschense
A historically devastating European black fly named after the Serbian town of Golubac. Larvae develop in the fast waters...
Greenhead Horse Fly
Tabanus nigrovittatus
A coastal salt marsh horse fly with bright green eyes. It is the most abundant biting fly along the Atlantic coast of No...
Hedgehog Flea
Archaeopsylla erinacei
A large flea specific to European hedgehogs and one of the most abundant fleas in Western Europe. A single hedgehog can ...
Hen Flea
Ceratophyllus gallinae
A common flea of wild birds and domestic poultry, often found in nest material. Heavy infestations can cause anemia and ...
Hog Louse
Haematopinus suis
The largest louse found on domestic animals, exclusively parasitizing pigs. It feeds on blood and is most commonly found...
Horn Fly
Haematobia irritans
A small blood-feeding fly that spends almost its entire life on cattle. It clusters at the base of horns and along the b...
Horse Fly
Tabanus bovinus
A large, stout fly with huge iridescent compound eyes that display rainbow patterns. Only females bite, using scissor-li...
Horse Sucking Louse
Haematopinus asini
A large blood-sucking louse found on horses, donkeys, and mules. It prefers areas with long hair such as the mane, forel...
Human Body Louse
Pediculus humanus humanus
Closely related to the head louse but lives in clothing rather than on hair. It is the vector for epidemic typhus, trenc...
Human Flea
Pulex irritans
Once common in human homes, now relatively rare in developed countries. Historically responsible for transmitting buboni...
Human Head Louse
Pediculus humanus capitis
An obligate ectoparasite of the human scalp that feeds on blood several times per day. It spreads through direct head-to...
Indian Sand Fly
Phlebotomus argentipes
A tiny, hairy fly with a distinctive humpbacked appearance and large, upturned wings held erect at rest. It is the prima...
Indian Tse Tse-like Fly
Hippobosca maculata
A flattened, leathery ectoparasitic fly that feeds on the blood of horses, cattle, and dogs. It has powerful claws for g...
Inland Floodwater Mosquito
Aedes vexans
One of the most widespread and abundant mosquitoes globally, with a brownish body and narrow white bands on the hind tar...
Intermedia Sandfly
Lutzomyia intermedia
A tiny sandfly found in southeastern Brazil that is a major vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Atlantic Forest regions...
Japanese Encephalitis Mosquito
Culex tritaeniorhynchus
A medium-sized brownish mosquito with a pale band on the proboscis that is the primary vector of Japanese encephalitis v...
Korean Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles sinensis
A medium-sized mosquito with spotted wings that breeds in rice paddies across East Asia. It is a vector of Plasmodium vi...
Longipalpis Sandfly
Lutzomyia longipalpis
A small, pale-brown sandfly that is the most important vector of visceral leishmaniasis in the Americas. Males produce s...
Louse Fly
Hippobosca equina
A flattened bloodsucking fly parasite of horses and cattle with powerful clawed legs for clinging to fur. Adults are inc...
Lutzomyia Sand Fly (Whitmani)
Lutzomyia whitmani
A small sandfly that is the major vector of Leishmania braziliensis, which causes mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil....
Maculipennis Complex Mosquito
Anopheles maculipennis
A medium-sized mosquito that is the type species of a complex of at least eight sibling species across Europe and wester...
Melas Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles melas
The West African saltwater-breeding member of the Anopheles gambiae complex, breeding in mangrove swamps and brackish la...
Merus Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles merus
A saltwater-breeding member of the Anopheles gambiae complex found along the East African coast. It breeds in brackish p...
Mexican Kissing Bug
Triatoma dimidiata
A major Chagas disease vector in Central America and Mexico found in both domestic and peridomestic habitats. Adults are...
Minimus Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles minimus
A small mosquito found along the foothills and valleys of Southeast Asia, breeding in slow-moving, clear streams. It has...
Mole Flea
Hystrichopsylla talpae
The largest European flea, found on moles and other burrowing mammals....
Moorhen Flea
Dasypsyllus gallinulae
A flea commonly found on small passerine birds including tits, wrens, and robins. It breeds in bird nesting boxes and na...
Mosquito
Aedes aegypti
A vector for dengue, yellow fever, Zika, and chikungunya. Only females bite, needing blood protein for egg development. ...
Mouse Flea
Leptopsylla segnis
A small flea that parasitizes house mice and other small rodents worldwide. It is commonly found in rodent nests in and ...
New Zealand Sandfly
Austrosimulium ungulatum
A small black fly endemic to New Zealand that inflicts painful bites, particularly notorious in the South Island's West ...
Northern House Mosquito
Aedes hexodontus
A dark-colored Arctic mosquito with distinctive banding on the abdomen. It breeds in tundra pools and is a major pest sp...
Northern Rat Flea
Nosopsyllus fasciatus
A flea of the Norway rat found in temperate climates, capable of transmitting murine typhus. It has a distinctive pronot...
Notch-horned Cleg
Haematopota pluvialis
A grey horse fly with mottled wings that approaches silently before biting. It is one of the most common biting flies in...
Ochraceum Black Fly
Simulium ochraceum
A small orangish-brown black fly that is the principal vector of onchocerciasis in Central America and southern Mexico. ...
Onchocerciasis Black Fly
Simulium damnosum
The primary vector of river blindness in West and Central Africa. Larvae thrive in oxygen-rich rapids of tropical rivers...
Oriental Rat Flea
Xenopsylla cheopis
The primary vector of bubonic plague, responsible for transmitting the bacterium Yersinia pestis between rats and humans...
Pallid Kissing Bug
Triatoma pallidipennis
A Chagas disease vector found in central and southwestern Mexico. It readily colonizes human dwellings in rural areas....
Pallidipes Tsetse Fly
Glossina pallidipes
A large savanna tsetse fly with a distinctive pale brownish coloration, found in woodland habitats of East Africa. It is...
Peruvian Sandfly
Phlebotomus perniciosus
A small sandfly found across the Mediterranean basin that is the primary vector of Leishmania infantum, which causes vis...
Pigeon Bug
Cimex columbarius
A cimicid ectoparasite of pigeons and doves found in nest sites and dovecotes across Europe. It can bite humans in build...
Pigeon Flea
Ceratophyllus columbae
A flea found in pigeon nests and dovecotes that can bite humans in infested buildings. It thrives in the accumulated dro...
Pigeon Louse Fly
Pseudolynchia canariensis
A flattened, tough-bodied blood-sucking fly found on pigeons and doves worldwide. It has a leathery appearance, strong c...
Polynesian Tiger Mosquito
Aedes polynesiensis
A dark mosquito with white markings found across the South Pacific islands. It is an important vector of lymphatic filar...
Pubic Louse
Pthirus pubis
A broad, crab-shaped louse that infests coarse body hair, primarily in the pubic region. It is transmitted through intim...
Rabbit Flea
Spilopsyllus cuniculi
A flea specific to European rabbits with a remarkable reproductive strategy tied to its host. It can transmit myxomatosi...
Rain Fly
Haematopota crassicornis
A medium-sized cleg with mottled grey wings and iridescent green eyes. It is most active in humid overcast weather befor...
Rat Flea
Xenopsylla brasiliensis
A tropical rat flea found across Africa and South America that can transmit plague. It is second to the oriental rat fle...
Rift Valley Fever Mosquito
Aedes mcintoshi
A medium-sized mosquito found in the floodplains and dambos of East Africa. It is an important primary vector of Rift Va...
Ruddy Darter
Sympetrum sanguineum
A small dragonfly where mature males turn deep blood-red with a distinctly club-shaped abdomen. Females remain golden-ye...
Saltmarsh Mosquito
Aedes sollicitans
A golden-brown mosquito that breeds in enormous numbers in coastal salt marshes. It is a strong flier capable of traveli...
Sand Fly
Phlebotomus papatasi
A tiny, hairy, yellowish fly with large dark eyes and wings held in a V-shape above the body. Females feed on blood and ...
Sand Gnat
Culicoides furens
A very small biting midge commonly known as a no-see-um due to its near-invisible size. Despite being barely visible, it...
Sand Martin Flea
Ceratophyllus styx
A flea species specific to sand martin colonies in their bank-nesting burrows. It can accumulate in large numbers in nes...
Screwworm Fly
Cochliomyia hominivorax
A devastating parasitic fly whose larvae feed on living tissue of warm-blooded animals. It was eradicated from North Ame...
Sergenti Sandfly
Phlebotomus sergenti
A small sandfly with a broad geographic range across the Old World, serving as the vector of Leishmania tropica, which c...
Sheep Ked
Melophagus ovinus
A completely wingless, tick-like blood-sucking fly that lives permanently in sheep wool. Its flattened body and strong c...
Silvius Horse Fly
Silvius alpinus
A small brownish horse fly found in mountain forests and alpine meadows. It is one of the few horse flies adapted to hig...
Snow Flea
Glaciopsyllus antarcticus
A flea that parasitizes petrels and survives Antarctic conditions year-round....
Sonorensis Biting Midge
Culicoides sonorensis
A small biting midge that is the primary vector of bluetongue virus and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus in North Ame...
South American Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles darlingi
A medium-sized mosquito that is the most important malaria vector in the Amazon Basin and Central America. It is highly ...
Southeast Asian Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles dirus
A forest-dwelling mosquito with dark wings and a strong preference for biting humans. It is the primary malaria vector i...
Southern House Mosquito
Culex quinquefasciatus
A tropical and subtropical mosquito that breeds in polluted water. It transmits lymphatic filariasis and is a major nuis...
Stable Fly
Stomoxys calcitrans
A blood-feeding fly that closely resembles the house fly but has a prominent piercing proboscis. It is a painful biter o...
Sticktight Flea
Echidnophaga gallinacea
A small flea that permanently attaches to the skin of poultry, often around the face and comb. It can also parasitize do...
Striped Deer Fly
Chrysops vittatus
A small deer fly with distinctive dark bands across its wings and bright green and gold patterned eyes. Females are pers...
Striped Horse Fly
Tabanus lineola
A medium-sized horse fly with a pale dorsal stripe on the abdomen. Females are persistent blood-feeders on livestock and...
Sundaicus Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles sundaicus
A coastal malaria vector that breeds in brackish water lagoons and fishponds across Southeast Asia. It is an important v...
Swallow Louse Fly
Ornithomya avicularia
A flattened, brownish winged louse fly that parasitizes a wide range of bird species. It moves rapidly through feathers ...
Sweet Itch Midge
Culicoides obsoletus
A tiny dark biting midge with patterned wings that causes an allergic skin condition called sweet itch in horses. It bre...
Triatoma brasiliensis
Triatoma brasiliensis
The most important Chagas disease vector in the semi-arid Caatinga region of northeastern Brazil. It thrives in rocky ou...
Triatoma gerstaeckeri
Triatoma gerstaeckeri
The most common kissing bug in Texas, frequently found infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. It inhabits woodrat nests and re...
Triatoma lecticularia
Triatoma lecticularia
A kissing bug found across the southeastern United States that occasionally invades homes. Its name references its histo...
Triatoma rubida
Triatoma rubida
A reddish-brown kissing bug found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It frequently enters homes and its bite ...
Tropical Bed Bug
Cimex hemipterus
A tropical relative of the common bed bug that also feeds on human blood. It is the dominant bed bug species in many par...
Tsetse Fly
Glossina morsitans
Vector of African sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis). Unlike most flies, females give live birth to a single large larv...
Tsetse Fly (Forest)
Glossina palpalis
A major vector of African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness). Unique among flies for giving live birth to a single larg...
Tundra Mosquito
Aedes impiger
A small but abundant Arctic mosquito with dark body and pale leg bands. It is one of the most northerly distributed mosq...
Turkey Gnat
Simulium meridionale
A black fly notorious for swarming livestock in the southern United States. Larvae attach to rocks in swift streams usin...
Twin-lobed Deer Fly
Chrysops relictus
A golden-green eyed deer fly with distinctive dark wing markings. It breeds in peaty wetlands and bogs across northern r...
Two-colored Quedius
Quedius cruentus
A medium-sized rove beetle with a metallic dark head and pronotum contrasting with blood-red elytra. It inhabits montane...
Vampire Moth
Calyptra thalictri
A dull grey-brown moth with a uniquely evolved proboscis capable of piercing mammalian skin. Males occasionally drink bl...
Western Chicken Flea
Ceratophyllus niger
A poultry flea common in western North America that infests chickens and other domestic birds. Heavy infestations reduce...
Western Encephalitis Mosquito
Culex tarsalis
A medium-sized mosquito with a distinctive white band on the proboscis and banded legs. It is the most important vector ...
Western Ground Squirrel Flea
Oropsylla montana
A flea found on ground squirrels and prairie dogs in western North America. It is an important vector of sylvatic plague...
White-Stockinged Black Fly
Simulium vittatum
A widespread black fly species complex with distinctive white-banded legs. Larvae colonize almost any flowing water from...
Wohlfahrt's Wound Fly
Wohlfahrtia magnifica
A large, gray flesh fly with dark spots on the abdomen that is an obligate parasite of warm-blooded animals in the Old W...
Woodland Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles punctulatus
A major malaria vector in the southwest Pacific with spotted wings. It breeds in sunlit ground pools and temporary puddl...
Yellow Fever Mosquito (Forest Form)
Aedes africanus
A dark forest mosquito that maintains the sylvatic cycle of yellow fever virus among monkeys in African tropical forests...
Yellow Fly
Diachlorus ferrugatus
A medium-sized yellowish horse fly notorious for its aggressive biting. It is particularly abundant in the coastal south...