Let’s talk about one of the reasons some wild places never become mainstream photo‑safari destinations: tsetse flies. They’re not just annoying. They hurt. BAD. Tsetse flies don’t politely nibble—they latch on and feed on blood. Think of them as miniature vampires with wings. Swat them, hit them, and they just buzz off to dig into a new spot. Their mouthparts can penetrate several layers of clothing—which is why you’ll often see trackers wearing heavy coats even in scorching heat. Because of tha

Mammalian moms, you're not alone! A female tsetse fly pushes out a single squiggly larva almost as big as herself, which she nourished with her own milk. | Deep Look • PBS

The tsetse fly is about to give birth to a larva almost as heavy as itself. Most insects lay eggs, so why does it produce a live larva? Normally, insects like mosquitoes develop from egg to larva, then pupa, and finally adult, and their larvae must find their own food. But tsetse fly larvae grow entirely inside the mother. They complete all stages up to the third instar in the uterus, relying on nutrients the mother provides. The mother even has a special milk gland that produces fat- and protei