A tsetse and tabanid fly survey of African great apes habitats reveals the presence of a novel trypanosome lineage but the absence of Trypanosoma brucei

•The trypanosome biodiversity and feeding preferences of tsetse and tabanid flies are presented.•Tsetse, but not tabanid, flies transmit a surprisingly wide spectrum of trypanosomes.•Five of eight Trypanosoma spp. identified were encountered for the first time.•Blood meals of ∼1000 forest tsetse flies were examined by high throughput sequencing.•Tsetse flies’ feeding opportunism includes buffaloes, humans, antelopes and suids.