Comparative fecundity and survival rates of Phlebotomus papatasi sandfliesmembrane fed on blood from eight mammal species

Female sandflies, Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli) (Diptera: Psychodidae), we re fed via chicken membrane on heparinized blood from eight species of mamm al (human, horse, cow, pig, dog, rabbit, guinea-pig, hamster) and their rep roductive success rates were compared. No appreciable differences between t hose fed on human and animal blood were detected with respect to the propor tion of flies that fed successfully, mortality-rate within 24h, number of e ggs laid per blood-fed female or egg viability. When mass-rearing sandflies for research purposes, membrane-feeding avoids practical difficulties enco untered if sandflies are allowed to feed on live hosts (i.e. anaesthesia, d istress from handling and postfeeding inflammation) and reduction of sandfl y fecundity due to host antibody interference. Use of animal blood also eli minates risks of accidental transmission of human blood-borne pathogens, e. g. hepatitis B and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and is less expensiv e than maintenance of animals and their preparation for sandfly feeding.