Tsetse Fly vs Snow Flea

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tsetse Fly Snow Flea
Scientific Name Glossina morsitans Glaciopsyllus antarcticus
Order Diptera Siphonaptera
Family Glossinidae Ceratophyllidae
Size 8-17 mm 2-3 mm
Habitat Grasslands Tundra & Arctic
Diet Blood Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Africa Oceania
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Tsetse Fly

Vector of African sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis). Unlike most flies, females give live birth to a single large larva. Both sexes are obligate blood-feeders.

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Did You Know?

The tsetse fly is unique among insects — it gives birth to live young. The female nourishes a single larva internally with a milk-like substance, similar to mammalian lactation.

Snow Flea

A flea that parasitizes petrels and survives Antarctic conditions year-round.

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Did You Know?

It is the southernmost known flea, enduring temperatures far below freezing.