Artificial feeding of west African Simulium damnosum Theobald s.l. (Diptera: Simuliidae) on man, domestic mammals and birds
Wirtz, H.P.; Raybould, J.N.; Boakye, D.A.; Mordzifa, F.
Tropical Medicine and Parasitology Official Organ of Deutsche Tropenmedizinische Gesellschaft and of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit 37(4): 385-389
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0177-2392 PMID: 3563319 Document Number: 285945
A population of 85% adults of Simulium damnosum s.s.and 15% adults of S. sirbanum, from the River Volta in Ghana, were offered chickens, guinea-fowl, rabbits, goats, sheep and man as hosts under varied confined conditions. Significant differences in feeding rates were found on the different host species, on different sexes of the same host, on different parts of their bodies, at times also between different individual flies of the same species, and between the techniques employed. On less favoured hosts, wild-caught flies usually demonstrated less reluctance to feed than laboratory-emerged females. Rabbits, man and guinea-fowl were the most favoured hosts, with guinea-fowl being particularly suitable. To determine the most suitable hosts for practical field use the authors fed a population of mainly Simulium damnosum s.s. with some S. sirbanum on chicken, guinea-fowl, rabbit, goat, sheep and 2 human volunteers. From findings with wild-caught and laboratory-emerged flies the authors conclude that rabbit, man and guinea-fowl gave the best results, the last being particularly suitable.Carolyn A. Brown.