Adaptations of Membrane Feeding Techniques for Feeding the Squirrel Flea, Orchopeas Howardi, and the Squirrel Louse, Neohaematopinus Sciuropteri, with Notes on the Feeding of the Human Body Louse, Pediculus Humanus Var. Corporis1

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Techniqurs for feeding hematophagous arthropods through membranes offer greater advantages in studies of vector potential than traditional methods involving feeding of the parasites on live hosts. An especially important advantage of membrane techniques is the ability to expose the arthropod to defined doses of pathogens, a virtual impossibility when live-host techniques are used. Secondly, loss of test arthropods through host self-grooming is eliminated with membrane techniques. Additional advantages of membrane feeding are the ability to control physical and chemical parameters that affect feeding (e.g., temperature, light, chemical stimulants, etc.) and the elimination of interference from other ectoparasites that might be present on a live host.

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit: