Stable fly. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of a stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans). It has large compound eyes (blue). The stab

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Stable fly. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of a stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans). It has large compound eyes (blue). The stable fly uses its proboscis (green) to pierce the skin and suck the blood of domestic animals. Female flies require a blood meal to reproduce. S. calcitrans gathers in swarms that can stress cows so much that their milk yield is reduced. It is also a vector of diseases, for example swamp fever, anthrax and brucellosis. The best method of preventing this fly from troubling animals is to stop it breeding by removing its breeding grounds, which are hay, manure, spilled feed and wet vegetation.

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Size: 2800px × 2257px
Photo credit: © VOLKER STEGER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, blood-feeder, blood-feeding, calcitrans, coloured, compound, diptera, dipteran, disease, entomology, eye, eyes, feeding, fly, haematophageous, head, horizontal, insect, insecta, invertebrate, invertebrates, mouthparts, nature, pest, proboscis, sanguivorous, sem, stable, stomoxys, vector, wildlife, zoology