June 11, 2026 Yul So animals.howstuffworks.com For most insects, wings are essential for survival. For one blood-feeding parasite, however, they become useless the moment their mission is complete. Researchers from the United Kingdom and Italy have discovered that the deer ked (Lipoptena andaluciensis), a small parasitic fly that feeds on mammal blood, undergoes a remarkable biological transformation after locating a host. Once it lands on a deer, the insect permanently sheds