title: Recent advances in laboratory mass rearing of phlebotomine sand flies.
abstract: Recent technical and procedural advances in mass rearing of sand flies have resulted in larger, healthier, and less labor-intensive colonies. We now maintain closed colonies of Phlebotomus papatasi, P. duboscqi, P. argentipes, and Lutzomyia longipalpis which produce up to 1,000 females per week, in excess of colony-maintenance requirements, for use in research. Advances include larval food preparation in acrylic-plastic incubator cabinets, strict regulation of food quantity and moisture in 500-ml plaster-lined rearing jars, use of large plaster-lined adult holding/mating cages and vacuum-powered aspirators for trauma-free handling of adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, D.C. 20307-5100.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Lawyer
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Rowton
authors.forename: P V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D004772:Entomology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000502:physiology; D007891:Leishmania; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000502:physiology; D012098:Reproduction