Gonotrophic nature of Phlebotomus argentipes (diptera: psychodidae) in the laboratory

BRIEF REPORT

Gonotrophic nature of Phlebotomus argentipes (diptera: psychodidae) in the laboratory

K.N. Ghosh; A. Bhattacharya

Immunoparasitology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Calcutta 700 019, INDIA

^{Correspondence}

Phlebotominae sandflies, the haematophagous insects, are dependent on blood for their follicular development and subsequently laying of eggs to maintain their progeny except a few who are autogenous in nature (KILLICK-KENDRICK, 1978). Blood feeding habit of Phlebotomus argentipes Annandale and Brunetti has already been studied in the laboratory (SMITH, 1959; GHOSH & BHATTACHARYA, 1989). Few authors have reported multiple feeding in P. argentipes and P. papatasi in nature (PANDYA, 1980; DHANDA & GILL, 1982). The field result may not be enough to indicate the either insects as gonotrophically concordant or discordant as two positive bands for the meal may appear when the fly takes two meals (the first one may be incomplete i.e., partial feeding) in a short time on two different host animals. It may also appear due to undegraded immunoglobulin of the former meal (TESH et. al. 1988). On the contrary, two meals may indicate as one when the source of blood meal is a single host species. The laboratory observation on this aspect will strengthen the idea of the possible gonotrophic nature of an insect. Most laboratory bred species are gonotrophically concordant and will not take a second blood meal before egg laying (KILLICK-KENDRICK, 1987). However, adverse reports are available against P. papatasi and P. longipes (KILLICK-KENDRICK, 1983). The deviation of the nature of P. argentipes in relation to gonotrophic nature is reported here on the basis of laboratory observation.

The females of the laboratory bred sandflies, maintained following the method of GHOSH & BHATTACHARYA (1989), were exposed to human blood source. The bloodfed flies were kept through glucose for 2 days, without allowing a damp basement, to prevent oviposition. On the third day of feeding the gravid flies were allowed to refeed on the human source. A batch of unfed females were included too beside the gravid flies to engorge. During feeding the room temperature was brought down to 25º-26ºC and the feeding cage was made dark.

A total of 87 flies were exposed to human source as 2 batches (36 + 51) of which 41 (17+24) took blood meal. Later, 31 (13+18) of the bloodfed (not oviposited) and 84 (36+48) unfed flies were exposed to human source and found 3 (1+2) and 39 (16+23) females took blood meal respectively. This indicated that 9.6% of the bloodfed flies took second blood meal before oviposition which amounted to 3.4% of the flies exposed for feeding. It was found that the volume of blood meal taken by the gravid females in the second time was small in comparison to the first meal and it occupied the anterior portion of the gut.

The result indicates that P. argentipes may also exhibit gonotrophic discordance, although as very low percentage, disagreeing with the previous concordance conception. Ingestion of smaller amount of blood during second feeding is probably due to the developing eggs preventing the accomodation of more fluid in the gut. Multiple feeding index of P. papatasi is higher than that of P. argentipes in nature (PANDYA, 1980; DHANDA & GILL, 1982). In our trial also we have met discordance with the former as common (unpublished observation) and with the latter as a rare phenomenon in the laboratory. Our observation on P.papatasi supports the earlier observation of KILLICK-KENDRICK (1983). The multiple feeding in a short time has meaning on the potential transmission of leishmaniasis, considering that this phenomenon will increase the vector potential of the flies (BUESCHER et al, 1984; KILLICK-KENDRICK et al., 1977; DHANDA & GILL, 1982). But KALRA & BANG (1986) have considered P. argentipes a more competent vector than P. papatasi which is not gonotrophic discordant.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The senior author is thankful to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India, for providing financial assistance to the senior author [9/28(207)/88-EMR1]. The senior author is indebted to Prof. R. Killick-Kendrick, Dr. R. P. Lane, Dr. M. Maroli and Dr. M. J. Mutinga for their help and advice during the work on sandflies. We are thankful to the Distributed Information Centre (DIC), Bose Institute, Calcutta, for providing computer facility in typing the manuscript.

Recebido para publicação em 19/8/1991

Aceito para publicação em 28/1/1992

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Correspondence:

Prof. Amal Bhattacharya

P. O. Box -10257

Calcutta - 700 019. INDIA

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  14 Sept 2006
• Date of issue
  Apr 1992

History

• Accepted
  28 Jan 1992
• Received
  19 Aug 1991