HISTOLOGIC DETECTION OF MULTIPLE BLOOD MEALS IN PHLEBOTOMUS-DUBOSCQI (DIPTERA, PSYCHODIDAE)

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.