Comparison of In Vivo and In Vitro Methods for Blood Feeding of Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae) in the Laboratory

This study suggests that female P. papatasi may use an invitation effect to blood feed and are attracted to blood sources via chemical olfaction cues, both of which have been characterized in other blood-feeding arthropods. Our study demonstrates that a Parafilm membrane or a hog’s gut membrane, in conjunction with the Hemotek or glass feeder system, is potentially a viable alternative to live rodents to blood feed a colony of P. papatasi.

Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - September 2, 2016 Category: Biology Authors: Denlinger, D. S., Li, A. Y., Durham, S. L., Lawyer, P. G., Anderson, J. L., Bernhardt, S. A. Tags: Behavior, Chemical Ecology Source Type: research