Which of the following statements regarding the tsetse fly (Glossina), the vector of African trypanosomiasis, is correct?

• A It is oviparous, laying hundreds of eggs near stagnant water
• B Its larvae develop in fast-flowing streams attached to rocks
• C Both male and female flies take blood meals exclusively at night
• D It is larviparous, depositing a single fully grown larva at a time ✓

Explanation

Glossina is unusual among disease vectors because it is larviparous: the female retains one egg at a time in the uterus, nourishes the larva on uterine secretions, and deposits a single mature third instar larva, which immediately pupates in soil. This low reproductive rate distinguishes it from mosquitoes and most other Diptera. Option B describes Simulium breeding sites, and option A describes culicine mosquitoes. Both sexes feed on blood during daytime hours.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

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