title: Preparation of sand fly (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) specimens for histological studies.
abstract: Phlebotominae sand fly specimens were prepared for histological and physiological studies. Different fixatives were tested on sectioned and whole bodied adult females in order to obtain good fixation and provide satisfactory penetration of the embedding media. All fixed specimens were infiltrated (up to seven days under 5 C) and embedded in hydroxyethyl metacrylate. Two-three  m sections were stained, mounted in Canada balsam and observed by light microscopy. Best results were achieved when whole bodied insects were double fixed in Bouin's and Carnoy's fluids (4 h/2 h) and stained in Hematoxilin/Eosin or fixed in calcium formaldehyde and stained in mercury bromophenol blue.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou-Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. bbrazil@ioc.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: Beatriz Gomes
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Brazil
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lino-Neto
authors.forename: Reginaldo Peçanha
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Brazil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001978:Bromphenol Blue; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005260:Female; D006416:Hematoxylin; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000166:cytology*; D016707:Tissue Fixation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D001978:Bromphenol Blue; D006416:Hematoxylin