Introduction There is considerable variation in the extent of the association between a blood sucking insect and its host. Blood sucking Diptera such as mosquitoes are temporary ectoparasites, only visiting the host for long enough to obtain a blood meal. Temporary ectoparasites such as tsetse flies, tabanids and mosquitoes tend to take relatively large blood meals, thus limiting the danger fro...

Bloodsucking arthropods are a rich source of salivary molecules (sialogenins) which inhibit platelet aggregation, neutrophil function and angiogenesis. Here we review the literature on salivary disintegrins and their targets. Disintegrins were first discovered in snake venoms, and were instrumental in our understanding of integrin function and also for the development of anti-thrombotic drugs. ...

The horizontally polarizing surface parts of shiny black cars (the reflection-polarization characteristics of which are similar to those of water surfaces) attract water-leaving polarotactic insects. Thus, shiny black cars are typical sources of polarized light pollution endangering water-leaving insects. A new fashion fad is to make car-bodies matt black or grey. Since rough (matt) surfaces de...

We have with great interest read the paper by Tuuminen et al. (1) published in the July 2014 issue of this journal where the pine weevil (Hylobius abietis) is incriminated as a vector of the potential human pathogen Capnocytophaga canimorsus. The authors base their conclusion on the fact that the man, who was infected by C. canimorsus, claimed that “he had been bitten by a large pine weevil on ...