central to the transmission of the parasitic nematode Onchocerca volvulus which causes onchocerciasis, or "river blindness". It serves as the larval host for the nematode and acts as the vector by which the disease is spread. The parasite lives on human skin and is transmitted to the black fly during feeding. See also "The Black Fly Song", a song by Wade Hemsworth inspired by his experiences with them in Northern Ontario and popularized in the United States by Bill Staines. Gnat Midge Use of DNA in forensic entomology Citations General references Black Flies Fact Sheet from Ohio State University Extensive Simuliidae (black fly) Web pages at blackfly.org.uk Black fly species inventory Further reading Crosskey R. W. ; The natural history of blackflies. Willey, New York, 1990. Honomichl K. ; Bellmann, H. ; Biologie und Ökologie der Insekten. CD-Rom. Gustav Fischer, Stuttgart, 1994. Jedlicka, L.; Stloukalova, V. ; Family Simuliidae. pp. 331–347 in: Papp, L. and Darvas, B. (eds.): Contributions to a Manual of Palaearctic Diptera, Volume 2. Science Herald, Budapest, 1997. Jensen, F. ; Diptera Simuliidae, Blackflies. pp. 209–241 in: Nilsson, A.N. (ed.): Aquatic Insects of North Europe. A Taxonomic Handbook. Apollo Books, Stenstrup, 1997. Kim, K. C. ; Merritt, R. W. (Eds.) ; Black flies, ecology, population management, and annotat. world list. University Park, London, 1987. Kurtak, D. C. 1973. Observations on filter feeding by the larvae of black flies. PhD thesis. Cornell Univ., Ithaca. 157 pp. Kurtak, D. C. 1978. "Efficiency of filter feeding of black fly larvae". Can. J. ZooL 56:1608–23 110. Laird, M. (Ed.) ; Blackflies. Academic Press, London, 1981. Lechthaler, W. ; Car, M. ; Simuliidae − Key to Larvae and Pupae from Central− and Western Europe. Vienna 2005, Seitz, G. ; Verbreitung und Ökologie der Kriebelmücken (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Niederbayern. in: Lauterbornia. Mauch, Dinkelscherben 11.1992, pp. 1–230. Timm, T. ; Dormanzformen bei Kriebelmücken unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Ei-Stadiums (Diptera: Simuliidae). in: Entomologia generalis. Schweizerbart, Stuttgart 12.1987, 133-142. Timm, T. ; Unterschiede in Habitatselektion und Eibiologie bei sympatrischen Kriebelmückenarten (Diptera, Simuliidae). in: Mitteilungen der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Allgemeine und Angewandte Entomologie. Bremen 6.1988, 156-158. Timm, T. ; Rühm, W. (Hrsg.) ; Beiträge zur Taxonomie, Faunistik und Ökologie der Kriebelmücken in Mitteleuropa. Essener Ökologische Schriften. Bd.2. Westarp Wissenschaften, Magdeburg 1993. Wichard, W. ; Arens, W. ; Eisenbeis, G. ; Atlas zur Biologie der Wasserinsekten. Stuttgart, 1994. Wirtz, H. P. ; Analyse der Histaminanteile im Speichel verschiedener