Establishment and maintenance of sand fly colonies

Abstract

Sand flies used to have a reputation for being difficult and labour-intensive to breed. Here we summarize our experience with establishment and maintenance of sand fly colonies and their use for infective experiments: techniques for collection and handling wild-caught females, rearing larvae and adults and experimental infections of sand flies by Leishmania using membrane feeding. In addition, we compare major life cycle parameters between various colonies maintained under standard laboratory conditions. The sand fly rearing is tricky but some species can be reared in large numbers with a minimum of space and equipment. Initiation of new colonies from endemic sites is a prerequisite for accurate studies on parasite-vector interaction but it is more difficult step than routine maintenance of colonies already established in laboratory for many generations. Journal of Vector Ecology 36 (Supplement 1): S1-S9. 2011.

Assessing Insecticide Susceptibility of LaboratoryLutzomyia longipalpisandPhlebotomus papatasiSand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae)

“…All life stages were reared at USU at 25 C, 85% relative humidity, and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D) h according to methods described by Lawyer et al (1991) and Modi and Rowton (1999). Larvae were fed a composted 1:1 mixture of rabbit feces and rabbit food (Young et al 1981;Volf and Volfova 2011). Adults were provided 30% sucrose-water solution daily on saturated cotton balls, and adult female L. longipalpis and P. papatasi were blood-fed on anesthetized mice placed inside holding cages twice weekly.…”

Phlebotomus papatasi exposure cross-protects mice against Leishmania major co-inoculated with Phlebotomus duboscqi salivary gland homogenate

“…Colonies of P. papatasi (originating from Turkey, colonized in 2005) and P. duboscqi (originating from Senegal, 1994) were reared under standard conditions as described in Volf and Volfova (2011). Salivary glands were dissected from 3 to 5 day-old female sand flies, placed into Tris-buffered saline (TBS) (20 mM Tris, 150 mM NaCl, pH 7.8) and stored at −20 • C until needed.…”

Capacidade vetorial de Lutzomyia (Lutzomyia) cruzi (Diptera: Psychodidae) para Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum

“…as well as the epidemiology and expansion of leishmaniasis and, consequently, the planning and implementation of disease control measures should involve aspects inherent to parasite-vector and vector-vertebrate interactions, which can be studied through the laboratory rearing of sandflies for the investigation of experimental infection, vectorial competence and vectorial capacity (Volf and Volfova 2011). Moreover, the maintenance of sandfly colonies is indispensable to genetic, physiological and behavioral studies (Endris et al 1982).…”

“…Moreover, the maintenance of sandfly colonies is indispensable to genetic, physiological and behavioral studies (Endris et al 1982). Although more than 900 species of sandflies are known (Galati 2014), less than 50 have been colonized in laboratory settings and only a few have been successfully reared continuously to provide enough specimens for experimental studies (Volf and Volfova 2011, Killick-Kendrick 1991.…”