They're out for your blood: Meet the planet's vampire bugs as you've never seen them before


From our comfortable spot near the top of the food chain, it is easy to forget that we are still prey for numerous animals.

But now, thanks to the wonders of modern micro-photography, it is possible to get up close and personal with the 'vampires' of the animal kingdom and, if you can hold your nerve, take a peek at some of the creepy teeth and feeding equipment of the small insects, ticks and mites that want nothing more than to suck our blood.

From asian tiger mosquitos, that carry the West Nile virus and the Dengue fever virus, to the huge-bloated blood-filled body of a tick just after eating, meet the creatures that see humans as nothing more than giant vats of sweet nectar that need drinking.

Sipping it up: A Tsetse fly (Glossina fuscipes fuscipes) is using its proboscis to feed on the blood of its host. This blood-sucking parasitic fly is found in tropical Africa

A crab louse normally lives on the pubic region of humans - and can also be found in eyelashes. Meanwhile an asian tiger mosquito can carry the West Nile virus and the Dengue fever virus While the images are not one for the squeamish, they do offer an insight into the creatures which have cleverly adapted to drink on fresh blood. This is a clever evolutionary tactic, providing the creatures with an instant source of nutrient-rich food which is easy to digest, and allows small creatures to feed from much larger prey without getting caught. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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