Latin name -

Glossina palpalis

Tsetse ( pronounced /ts/e-/ts/e, teet-SEE, or set-see ) are large biting flies from Africa which live by feeding on the blood of vertebrate animals.
Tsetse are crudely similar to other large flies, such as the housefly, but can be distinguished by four characteristics of their anatomy, two of which are easy to observe.

• Proboscis - Tsetse have a distinct proboscis, a long thin structure attached to the bottom of the head and pointing forward.
• Folded wings - When at rest, tsetse fold their wings completely one on top of the other.
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• Hatchet cell - The discal medial (« middle ») cell of the wing has a characteristic hatchet shape resembling a meat cleaver or a hatchet.
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• Branched arista hairs - The antennae have arista with hairs which are themselves branched.
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Tsetse have been extensively studied because they are biological vectors of the African trypanosomiases, deadly diseases which include sleeping sickness in people and nagana in cattle.