How monoxenous trypanosomatids revealed hidden feeding habits of their tsetse fly hosts

Tsetse flies are well-known vectors of trypanosomes pathogenic for humans and livestock. For these strictly blood-feeding viviparous flies, the host blood should be only source nutrients liquids, as well any exogenous microorganisms colonising their intestine. Here we describe unexpected finding several monoxenous trypanosomatids in gut. In a total 564 individually examined Glossina (Austenia) tabaniformis (Westwood) (436 specimens) (Nemorhina) fuscipes (Newstead) (128 captured Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, Central African Republic, 24 (4.3%) individuals were infected with belonging to genera Crithidia LÊger, 1902; Kentomonas Votýpka, Yurchenko, Kostygov et Lukeť, 2014; Novymonas 2020; Obscuromonas Votýpka 2021; Wallacemonas 2014. Moreover, additional 20 (3.5%) inspected tsetse harboured free-living bodonids affiliated Dimastigella Sandon, 1928; Neobodo Vickerman, 2004; Parabodo Skuja, 1939; Rhynchomonas Klebs, 1892. context recently described feeding behaviour dipterans, propose that they become while taking sugar meals water, providing indirect evidence is not food liquids.