title: Laboratory feeding of Culicoides impunctatus (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) through natural and artificial membranes.
abstract: An artificial membrane, blood-feeding technique was evaluated for Culicoides impunctatus Goetghebuer using wild-caught insects in Scotland. Chick skins and stretched Nescofilm were satisfactory as feeding membranes. The maximum mean feeding rate achieved was 61.7 +/- 4.0% through Nescofilm with < or = 50 female midges per cage. This rate decreased as a negative function of time and density. A 4 degrees C decrease in blood temperature resulted in a 30% reduction in feeding. ATP applied to the outer membrane surface at 0.01 M and 0.1 M concentrations increased the feeding rate at 30 min after collection from 19.3 +/- 3.3% to 37.2 +/- 4.2% (0.01 M) and 34.5 +/- 4.9% (0.1 M). The Nescofilm membrane method will aid in colonization and may be useful in virus transmission experiments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blackwell
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Mellor
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mordue
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood; D002519:Ceratopogonidae; D002645:Chickens; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D012606:Scotland; D012867:Skin
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial