Spray-dried bovine blood: an effective laboratory diet for Ctenocephalides felis felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae).
Commercially available spray-dried protein sources were evaluated as replacement laboratory cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouché), larval diets for slaughterhouse-collected heat-dried blood. Percentage of adult emergence of fleas reared on adult flea feces (87.7%) and spray-dried bovine blood (79%) did not significantly differ, and yeast supplementation did not significantly increase adult emergence for spray-dried diets. However, yeast supplementation of heat-dried blood increased percentage adult emergence from 0 to 41.7%. Spray-dried bovine blood was found to be a satisfactory laboratory diet for cat flea larvae.
Richman
D L
DL
Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611, USA.
Koehler
P G
PG
Brenner
R J
RJ
D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D002417:Cattle; D004032:Diet; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000254:growth & development*