Use of an Animal Membrane in the Evaluation of Chemical Repellents against the Stable Fly1

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Abstract
Candidate insect repellents can be applied in laboratory tests to an animal membrane commercially available under the to an ox caecum membrane commercially available under the trade name Silverlight (derived from ox caecum; available from Julius Schmid, Inc., New York City). Repellency was determined by observing the number of caged stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans (L.)) that fed or were prevented from feeding when the untreated side of the membrane was in contact with warmed beef blood. A count of the flies that have fed is facilitated by the use of an ultraviolet activated fluorescent dye previously added to the blood. When results with this procedure were compared with those of another method in which chemicals were applied to cloth, it was found that the degree of repellency might vary depending on the surface to which the chemical had been applied; evaporation from the cloth or better retention on the membrane may account for some of this variation. Evaluation by means of the membrane test method was found to more closely parallel the order of effectiveness obtained in field experience with repellents on dairy animals, and it may have these other advantages as well: ease and accuracy of counting fed and unfed flies; maintenance of uniform or variable applications and surface conditions; use of small amounts of chemicals; elimination of maintenance of an animal as an attractant; possible addition of chemicals to the blood for systemic repellency or other types of testing; and the possible use of liquid media other than blood for attracting flies to the treated membrane.

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