Family: Hippoboscidae: Common Name: Pupipara, Forest Flies

Family: HIPPOBOSCIDAE
Common name: Pupipara, Forest flies

1. Females lay fully mature larvae one at a time which puped
immediately.
2. Adults, both male and females live on blood of animals and
birds.
3. They have broad, comparatively dorso-ventrally flattened,
soft leather like abdomen.
4. Wings may or may not be present.
5. Legs provided with strong claw with which they remain
attached to the body of the host.
6. They always have a preferential host but may attack the
other host when preferential host is not available.
Family: Hippoboscidae
Genus (s)
Hippobosca Melophagus Pseudolynchia
H. equina M. ovinus P. canariensis
H. rufipes sheep ked Pigeon fly
H. maculata
Louse fly
Genus: Hippobosca
Species: Host
H. equina - Equine Horse louse fly
H. maculata - Cattle Cattle louse fly
H. rufipes - Dog Dog louse fly
Forest fly
Pupiparous fly
Morphology:
1. These are dark brown flies with yellowish spot and marking
on the body both on thorax and abdomen.
2. Comparatively rounded head and abdomen soft and leather
like.
3. Wings are overlapping at rest with venations towards the
anterior margin only.
4. Strong piercing probosis and legs with claws.
5. They are found all over the country.
Life cycle:
• Female laid fully mature larvae one at a time in a sheltered
place near the roots of plant or soft hummus soil.
• The fully mature larvae become pupa almost immediately.
• Larvae are yellowish in colour and during the formation of
pupa it turns to black.
• Larvae are about 4-5 mm in size with dark spot on its body.
• Pupal period is influenced by temperature and the adult
emerges in about 15-20 days.
15-20 days
Mature larva Pupa Adult
yellowish black
Habits:
1. Flies are most common in summer days and prefer sunny
weather.
2. Mostly remains on the body of the host and generally leave
the host either for laying larvae or when very strongly
disturbed.
3. They remain on the inner side of the thigh, perineal and
pubic region or on the head where they are least disturb by
their host.
Pathogenesis:
1. Bite is very irritating and painful which disturb the animal in

routine grazing and feeding.
2. They feed on a substantial amount of blood but are not

potent carrier of any pathogenic organisms excepting
Trypanosoma theileri, which is non-pathogenic.
Control:
It is not difficult since the flies mostly remain on the body of the
host.
Regular spraying and dipping with insecticides can easily

control this flies.
Genus: Melophagus
Species: M. ovinus
Common name: Sheep ked.

Morphology:
1. They are the parasite of sheep and spend the whole of their
life on the body of the host.
2. They are wing less leathery parasite.
3. The head fixed on the thorax and is not moveable.
4. Strongly clawed legs are attached to the thorax.
5. Thorax is brown in colour and the abdomen is grayish in
colour.
6. Probosis projects anteriorly from the head.
Distribution:
All over the world found in sheep only.
Life Cycle:
Larvae Pupa 19-23 days Adult
Dark yellow Chestnut brown
Life cycle:
• Female laid one larvae at a time on the body of the host and
the larvae attached to the wool of the host with a sticky
substances, which covers the larvae when laid.
• Larvae are totally immotile sub-globular in shape dark yellow

when laid and transform into a chestnut brown pupa almost
immediately.
• Adult emerges in about 19-23 days depending on

atmospheric temperature.
• In very cold climate pupa stage is extended up to 36 days.
• A female can lay 10-15 larvae during its lifetime of 4-5

months.
Habits:
1. They are very common in autumn and winter months and

spread from one sheep to another by direct body contact.
2. Sheep with long and heavy coat, which generally get clayed,
are more commonly affected.
Pathogenesis:
1. The flies suck huge amount of blood and heavy infection may
cause anaemia in animals.
2. Bite is very painful and irritating and the animal scratch and
cause loss of wool as well as injuries.
3. The faeces of the flies cause dark stain of the wool, which
are not easily removable and are permanently causing loss of
value of the wool.
4. Poorly kept animals, which are more commonly affected than
animals keep properly.
5. They also transmitted non-pathogenic Trypanosoma
melophagium in sheep.
Control:
1. Regular and timely shearing of sheep reduces the population

to a great extent.
2. Animal protected against cold weather and sheared and

dipped with insecticide may lead to control of this flies to a
great extend.
Genus: Pseudolynchia
Species: P. canariensis
Common name: Pigeon flies
Morphology:
1. Morphologically they resemble Melophagus but have a pair

of transparent wings with venation on the anterior margin
only.
2. They are dark brown in colour.
3. Legs are provided with strong claws.
4. They are very common in warm countries and are found in
pigeons and other birds mostly in the nest.
Life cycle:
• Fully mature larvae are laid in the nest of the bird one at a
time which puped almost immediately.
• In case of captive birds, they are laid in the dark corner of
the cages.
• Larvae are yellow when freshly laid but turns to dark brown
pupa very quickly.
• Adult emerges in about 23-31 days.
Larvae Pupa 23 - 31 days Adult

Habits:
1. Flies go below the feather of the birds and may not be visible
from outside.
2. If disturbed, they very swiftly leave the host and may even
attack the handlers of the birds.
3. They can move through the feather also very quickly.
Pathogenesis:
1. They suck substantial amount of blood and cause painful

wounds on the body of the host.
2. Young birds with fewer feathers are more affected than older
birds with thick feather.
3. They transmit the protozoa Haemoproteus columbae in
pigeon.
Control:
Non- irritating non-toxic insecticides in dry form diluted with

some powder may be dusted over the bird as well as on their
nest.
Liquid spraying and dipping should preferably avoid in birds.

MOUTH PARTS OF INSECT
Month parts of insects vary greatly, depending on the

feeding habits of the species.
The upper lips (labrum) - not actual month part
Pair mandibles - lie directly behind the labrum
Hypo-pharynx - unsegmented out growth of the
body wall.
Epi-pharynx
Paired maxillae
Lower lips (labium)
Because the month parts of insects are greatly modified in
many species the principal types are given below: -
1. Chewing type: -
The mandibles masticate the food and the maxillae and
labium serve to push the particles into the month. e.g. grass
hopper, beetles and ants.
Cutting and sponging type: -
The mandibles are in the form of sharp blades and the
maxillae are long and stylet like. The mandibles and maxillae
cut and tear the skin of host. A sponge like labium connected to
a tube formed by hypo and epi-pharynx collects blood. e.g.
tabanids / horse fly (Haematophagus fly).
Piercing and sucking type: -
The labrum, mandible, hypo pharynx and maxillae are long
and slender and fit together, forming a hollow tube. The labium
is also elongated and warps around the other parts like a rigid
sheath. During feeding the tube pierces the host’s skin like a
hypodermic needle and blood is drawn through it. e.g. mosquito,
flies, bee and bed bugs (Haematophagus fly).
Chewing and lapping type: -
The labrum and mandibles are similar with grasshopper
(chewing type). However, maxillae and labium are modified as
elongated structures by which the food is drawn up. e.g. bee
and wasps.
Sponging type: -
Similar to cutting and sponging type but mandibles and
maxillae are non-functional. Remaining parts form a proboscis
with a sponge like apex called labella. Liquid foods sucked,
solid food ingested only after dissolving or suspending in
deposited saliva. e.g. Non-biting dipterans.

Family: Hippoboscidae: Common Name: Pupipara, Forest Flies

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Family: Hippoboscidae: Common Name: Pupipara, Forest Flies

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Family: HIPPOBOSCIDAE

Common name: Pupipara, Forest flies

1. Bite is very irritating and painful which disturb the animal in

2. They feed on a substantial amount of blood but are not

Regular spraying and dipping with insecticides can easily

Common name: Sheep ked.

• Larvae are totally immotile sub-globular in shape dark yellow

• Adult emerges in about 19-23 days depending on

• In very cold climate pupa stage is extended up to 36 days.

• A female can lay 10-15 larvae during its lifetime of 4-5

1. They are very common in autumn and winter months and

1. Regular and timely shearing of sheep reduces the population

2. Animal protected against cold weather and sheared and

1. Morphologically they resemble Melophagus but have a pair

Larvae Pupa 23 - 31 days Adult

1. They suck substantial amount of blood and cause painful

Non- irritating non-toxic insecticides in dry form diluted with

Liquid spraying and dipping should preferably avoid in birds.

Month parts of insects vary greatly, depending on the

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