ORDER: Diptera
FAMILY: Hippoboscidae
Size, Shape and Colour: Louse fly are very small, approximately 3mm in length with flattened bodies they look much like a winged tick, the fly clings tenaciously or crawls sluggishly for a moment before flying away. Their bodies are hairless and brown or greenish in colour. They have strong claws which enable them to cling on to a hosts body. Not all Louse Flies have wings, those that have may loose them whilst on a host.
Biology: The females are mainly found on mammals amongst the coat, here they release their fully grown larvae who immediately pupate. The puparium lies on the ground until the imago emerge at the end of summer.
Preferred Foods: These flies feed by sucking blood from birds or mammals, very rarely are they found on humans. They have also been known to transmit disease between animals but not humans.
Habitat: Normally on birds or mammals, which can be found in forested areas and mountains.
