LABORATORY FEEDING OF CULICOIDES-IMPUNCTATUS (DIPTERA, CERATOPOGONIDAE) THROUGH NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL MEMBRANES

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 less-than-or-equal-to 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.