www.peabody.yale.edu/bloodsuckers/© 2011 Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University. All rights reserved.

Bedbugs and Beyond!

Bloodsucking Adaptations

Blood is a rich, concentrated source of predigested food and many animals have adapted to drinking blood for nutrition. Females often take a large blood meal prior to developing and laying eggs. On the evolutionary pathway between primitive arthropods and modern day insects and arachnids, some of the following adaptations provided a survival advantage to animals that feed on blood.

Match the arthropod with the adaptation that makes it a better bloodsucker on the left and then match the survival advantage provided by that adaptation on the right.

Bedbug Head Louse Tick Mosquito Flea

Bloodsucker(s) Adaptation Survival Advantage

Long, thin, needle-like mouthparts

Hooked probe mouthparts

Wings

Wingless

Strong hind legs

Flattened body top to bottom

Flattened body side to side

Survival Advantages: 1. Leap onto animal hosts 2. Allows animal to stay attached to a host to blood feed over a long period of time 3. Move easily and quickly through hair or fur 4. Not needed if adults live close to hosts and lay eggs close to food source 5. Adults males and females both feed on plant sap; females also feed on blood 6. Hide in narrow cracks, nooks and crannies and seams of bed frames and mattresses 7. Able to fly long distances to find hosts and to disperse eggs to new locations

www.peabody.yale.edu/bloodsuckers/© 2011 Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University. All rights reserved.

Bedbugs and Beyond!

Bloodsucking Adaptations — Answer Key

Blood is a rich, concentrated source of predigested food and many animals have adapted to drinking blood for nutrition. Females often take a large blood meal prior to developing and laying eggs. On the evolutionary pathway between primitive arthropods and modern day insects and arachnids, some of the following adaptations provided a survival advantage to animals that feed on blood.

Match the arthropod with the adaptation that makes it a better bloodsucker on the left and then match the survival advantage provided by that adaptation on the right.

Bedbug Head Louse Tick Mosquito Flea

Bloodsucker(s) Adaptation Survival Advantage

Mosquito Long, thin, needle-like mouthparts 5. Adults males and females both feed on plant sap females also feed on blood

Tick Hooked probe mouthparts 2. Allows animal to stay attached to a host to blood feed over a long period of time Mosquito Wings 7. Able to fly long distances to find hosts and to disperse eggs to new location

Bedbug, Tick, Wingless 4. Not needed if adults live close to hosts and Flea, Head Louse lay eggs close to food source Flea Strong hind legs 1. Leap onto animal hosts Bedbug Flattened body top to bottom 6. Hide in narrow cracks, nooks and crannies and seams of bed frames and mattresses

Flea Flattened body side to side 3. Move easily and quickly through hair or fur