Spray-dried bovine blood: An effective laboratory diet for Ctenocephalidesfelis felis (Siphonaptera : Pulicidae)

Commercially available spray-dried protein sources were evaluated as replac ement laboratory cat nea, Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouche), larval diet s for slaughterhouse-collected heat-dried blood. Percentage of adult emerge nce of fleas reared on adult nea feces (87.7%) and spray-dried bovine blood (79%) did not significantly differ, and yeast supplementation did not sign ificantly increase adult emergence for spray-dried diets. However, yeast su pplementation of heat-dried blood increased percentage adult emergence from 0 to 41.7%. Spray-dried bovine blood was found to be a satisfactory labora tory diet for cat nea larvae.