Which reproductive characteristic is unique to the tsetse fly (Glossina), the vector of African trypanosomiasis?

• A It lays eggs in rafts on the surface of running water
• B Its larvae obtain oxygen through a siphon pierced into aquatic plant roots
• C It is larviparous, depositing a fully developed third-stage larva that immediately pupates in soil ✓
• D It undergoes complete metamorphosis with an aquatic pupal stage attached to stones in streams

Explanation

Glossina is exceptional among medically important flies in being larviparous: the female retains the developing larva within a uterine pouch, nourishing it with secretions, and deposits a single mature third-instar larva that burrows into soil and pupates at once. This low reproductive rate underlies the effectiveness of trapping and bush clearance against tsetse. Options A and D describe other dipteran life cycles, and option B describes Mansonia larvae.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 26th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.