Sand flies used to have a reputation for being difficult and labour-intensive to breed. Here we summarize our experience with establishment and maintenance of sand fly colonies and their use for infective experiments: techniques for collection and handling wild-caught females, rearing larvae and adults and experimental infections of sand flies by Leishmania using membrane feeding. In addition, we compare major life cycle parameters between various colonies maintained under standard laboratory conditions. The sand fly rearing is tricky but some species can be reared in large numbers with a minimum of space and equipment. Initiation of new colonies from endemic sites is a prerequisite for accurate studies on parasite-vector interaction but it is more difficult step than routine maintenance of colonies already established in laboratory for many generations.

Department of Parasitology Faculty of Sciences Charles University Prague Vinicna 7 Czech Republic

Citace poskytuje Crossref.org

Evaluation of various membranes for blood-feeding in nine sand fly species and artificial feeding challenges in Sergentomyia minuta

Azadirachtin disrupts ecdysone signaling and alters sand fly immunity

A novel strain of Leishmania braziliensis harbors not a toti- but a bunyavirus

Stability and suitability of housekeeping genes in phlebotomine sand flies

The development of L. major, L. donovani and L. martiniquensis, Leishmania currently emerging in Europe, in the sand fly species Phlebotomus perniciosus and P. tobbi

Comparative Genomics Uncovers the Evolutionary Dynamics of Detoxification and Insecticide Target Genes Across 11 Phlebotomine Sand Flies

Sand fly blood meal volumes and their relation to female body weight under experimental conditions

Effect of Phlebotomus papatasi on the fitness, infectivity and antimony-resistance phenotype of antimony-resistant Leishmania major Mon-25

Rhabdoviral Endogenous Sequences Identified in the Leishmaniasis Vector Lutzomyia longipalpis Are Widespread in Sandflies from South America

The histone methyltransferase DOT1B is dispensable for stage differentiation and macrophage infection of Leishmania mexicana

Comparative genomics of Leishmania donovani progeny from genetic crosses in two sand fly species and impact on the diversity of diagnostic and vaccine candidates

Host competence of Algerian Gerbillus amoenus for Leishmania major

Formation and three-dimensional architecture of Leishmania adhesion in the sand fly vector

RNAi-mediated gene silencing of Phlebotomus papatasi defensins favors Leishmania major infection

Infectiousness of Asymptomatic Meriones shawi, Reservoir Host of Leishmania major

Experimental feeding of Sergentomyia minuta on reptiles and mammals: comparison with Phlebotomus papatasi

Leishmania allelic selection during experimental sand fly infection correlates with mutational signatures of oxidative DNA damage

Exposure to Phlebotomus perniciosus sandfly vectors is positively associated with Toscana virus and Leishmania infantum infection in human blood donors in Murcia Region, southeast Spain

Experimental infections of sand flies and geckos with Leishmania (Sauroleishmania) adleri and Leishmania (S.) hoogstraali

Porcisia transmission by prediuresis of sand flies