H. Guzman et al., HISTOLOGIC DETECTION OF MULTIPLE BLOOD MEALS IN PHLEBOTOMUS-DUBOSCQI (DIPTERA, PSYCHODIDAE), Journal of medical entomology, 31(6), 1994, pp. 890-897
A histologic technique was used to detect multiple hamster blood meals
taken by Phelbotomus duboscqi Neveu-Lemaire during a 5-d period. Fort
y-eight flies were fed two or three blood meals separated by 48, 72, o
r 120 h and sampled immediately; multiple meals were detected in 27 fl
ies (56%). Double meals separated by 72 h within a single gonotrophic
cycle were documented in 11/19 (58%) flies; double meals separated by
120 h were detected in only 4/17 (24%) flies. Triple blood meals taken
at 0, 72, and 120 h were detected in 5/12 (42%) flies; all of these f
lies contained the second and third meals. Early blood meals were dete
cted clearly within later blood meals as a delimited body of dark dige
sted blood, heme (sometimes also with pink undigested blood), the pres
ence of an associated pale pink-staining peritrophic plug, the presenc
e and appearance of the peritrophic membrane surrounding the meals, an
d a physical space between meals; the first two characteristics were t
he most important. Development of the ovarian follicles including appa
rent dilatations was also observable using this histologic technique.
The results of this study indicate that the rate of multiple feeding c
an be determined using histology. The technique would be useful in eva
luating the blood feeding frequency of field-caught sand flies in ende
mic areas of leishmaniasis, bartonellosis, and phleboviruses.