Blood Sucker Collection

Culex mosquito, SEM
Culex mosquito. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a Culex sp. mosquito. The mosquitos head is dominated by its large compound eyes (brown spheres)

Sheep tick, SEM
Sheep tick. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus). The ticks mouthparts are between its two front legs

The scenery here is most beautiful (colour litho)
3642846 The scenery here is most beautiful (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The scenery here is most beautiful)

The liar
Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a deer ked (Lipoptena cervi). L. cervi lives as an ectoparasite on deer, moose and other cervids

Female mosquito head, SEM
Female mosquito head. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of a female mosquito (family Culicidae). The mosquitos head is dominated by its large compound eyes (pink)

Fish Leech feeding on goldfish
BB-1326 Fish Leech feeding on goldfish Piscicola geometra Brian Bevan Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Black horse fly C018 / 4697
Black horse fly (Tabanus atratus), close-up photograph. This specimen was found in Maryland, USA. Photographed by the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab: an organisation dedicated to identifying

LM of bird flea
Light micrograph of a female flea, Ceratophylus Galinae Galinae, a parasite on dry nesting birds. The head is helmet-shaped & the body is laterally flattened

Bird flea head, SEM
Head of a bird flea. False-colour scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of the bird flea, Ceratophylus galinae. The flea is a parasite on dry nesting birds, such as the Blue Tit

Sheep tick, SEM
Sheep tick. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus). This is a bloodsucking parasite of animals and humans

Hen flea. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a hen flea (Ceratophyllus gallinae). This flea is a parasite on dry nesting birds, such as the blue tit and chickens

Cat flea head, SEM C014 / 4842
Cat flea head. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis). Its eyes (red) can be seen at either side of its head

Mosquito feeding, artwork
Mosquito feeding. Computer artwork of a mosquito with its proboscis inserted into a persons skin (lower left) to feed on blood in a blood vessel (red)

Bats and other mammals, 19th century C015 / 6092
Bats and other mammals. 19th-century artwork of three bat species, and the common European species of hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), mole (Talpa europaea), and shrew (Sorex araneus)

Mosquito proboscis, SEM C017 / 8310
Mosquito proboscis. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the proboscis of an Anopheles gambiae mosquito. The green part is the stylet, which is used to pierce th skin

Mosquito C018 / 2429
Mosquito. Close-up of a mosquito, showing its feathery antennae (right) and long proboscis (lower right), which it uses to suck blood

Nurse with a jar of medicinal leeches C018 / 2317
Medicinal leeches (Hirudo medicinalis) in a tank of water. Leeches are parasites that feed on blood. They attach themselves to the skin using suckers and create a wound with three sharp jaw plates

Medicinal leeches C013 / 6001
Medicinal leeches. Pharmacist holding a jar containing live leeches. Leeches are parasites that feed on blood. Their saliva contains hirudin, a chemical that prevents blood from clotting

Freshwater leechs head sucker, SEM
Freshwater leechs head sucker. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head sucker of a freshwater leech (Hirudo sp.). This parasite has two suckers

Brown dog tick, SEM
Brown dog tick. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) engorged with blood. Ticks are parasitic arachnids

Mite on bee, SEM
Mite on honeybee. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a mite (Varroa sp. upper centre) on the thorax of a honeybee (Apis mellifera)

Squirrel flea antenna, SEM
Squirrel flea antenna. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the antenna of a Squirrel flea (Orchopeas howardi howardi)

Flea, SEM
Flea. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a flea (order Siphonaptera) found on a maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus). The flea has powerful legs adapted for jumping

Hedgehog flea, SEM
Hedgehog flea (Archaeopsylla erinacei), coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). The two structures protruding from the centre of the fleas head are sensory palps

Hedgehog flea claws, SEM
Hedgehog flea claws. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of claws at the tip of a hedgehog fleas (Archaeopsylla erinacei) leg. The claws help to anchor the flea to its hosts fur

Squirrel flea, SEM
Squirrel flea (Orchopeas howardi howardi), coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). The two structures protruding from the centre of the fleas head are sensory palps

Dog flea, SEM
Dog flea. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a dog flea (Ctenocephalides canis). Adult dog fleas are 2-4mm long and have long combs, known as ctenidia, on both the thorax and the head

Infected bee, SEM
Diseased bee. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a honeybee (Apis mellifera) infected with mites (Varroa sp. not seen)

Cat fleas head, SEM

Mosquito (family Culicidae), illustration. Although mosquitoes feed mostly on nectar, the females of most species also feed on the blood of other animals via a long proboscis

Compound eye of a mosquito, SEM
Compound eye of a mosquito. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of numerous lenses making up the surface of a compound eye from an Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus)

Sheep ked (Melophagus ovinus), light micrograph. This wingless, blood-sucking fly is an ectoparasite of sheep. The hooks on the ends of its legs help it to attach to its host

Female mosquito head, light micrograph
Female mosquito (family Culicidae) head, light micrograph. The mosquitos head is dominated by its large compound eyes (black spheres)

Mosquito heads, light micrograph
Mosquito heads. Light micrograph of the heads of a male (left) and female (right) mosquito (family Culicidae). The mosquitos head is dominated by its large compound eyes (solid white)

Mosquito larva mouth hairs. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the mouth hairs of a mosquito larva (Aedes albopictus). These hairs are feeding structures used to filter water

Asian tiger mosquito, SEM
Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). Structures on its head (upper centre) include its large compound eyes (red), two feather-like antennae (right)

Tick feeding, artwork

Blood-filled tick, artwork

Mosquito, artwork

Leech, SEM
Leech, coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). The leeches anterior (oral) sucker is seen at top left. Magnification: x25 when printed at 10 centimetres tall

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"Blood Suckers: Unveiling the Tiny Terrors of Nature" In this captivating journey through the microscopic world, we encounter some notorious blood-sucking creatures that have both fascinated and plagued humanity for centuries. First up is the Culex mosquito, a common culprit behind those irritating itchy bites. Underneath an electron microscope (SEM), its delicate body reveals intricate details, reminding us of its stealthy nature. Moving on to the sheep tick, another formidable bloodsucker lurking in grassy fields. Its SEM image showcases its claw-like appendages designed to latch onto unsuspecting hosts with precision and efficiency. Amidst these tiny terrors lies breathtaking scenery that contrasts their sinister reputation – a vibrant color lithograph captures nature's beauty at its finest. It serves as a reminder that even amidst danger, there is always something awe-inspiring to behold. However, not everything is as it seems. The liar among them emerges – a female mosquito head under SEM reveals her deceptive tactics used to extract precious blood while remaining undetected by our senses. Enter the black horse fly C018/4697; with its menacing appearance and sharp mouthparts ready for action, it leaves no doubt about its role as one of nature's most fearsome bloodsuckers. Transitioning from insects to fleas, we explore their microscopic world through light microscopy (LM). A detailed LM image of bird flea showcases their ability to adapt perfectly to avian hosts while causing discomfort and irritation when they occasionally cross paths with humans. Zooming in further under SEM lenses unveils intricate structures on the bird flea's head - an astonishing display of evolution's craftsmanship tailored specifically for extracting nourishment from feathered creatures. Returning back to terrestrial parasites, we revisit the sheep tick under SEM once more. Its resilient exoskeleton reminds us how these tiny arachnids can survive harsh conditions while posing health risks for both animals and humans.