The use of freeze-dried blood in the membrane feeding of tsetse flies (Glossina p. palpalis, Diptera: Glossinidae).

Rearing of tsetse flies using membrane feeding became a method of routine during recent years. HOwever, the use of blood does require donor animals. Now, for the first time, a technique has been developed using freeze-dried blood as nutrient for Glossina p. palpalis. This report contains an account of the experiments carried out in obtaining a freeze-dried blood product. Initially, fresh bovine blood was processed prior to freeze-drying. It was later reconstituted with distilled water and the osmolarity adjusted to that of fresh blood. ATP was necessary for optimal blood uptake and the addition of albumin increased the weights of puparia. A colony of flies was reared for more than two years by feeding the flies with this reconstituted blood formulation. Later, in a modified freeze-drying programme the processing of the blood prior to drying was eliminated. The addition of ATP was still required, but the quality of the product was not improved anymore by enrichment with albumin, plasma or serum. In comparisons between freeze-dried blood, fresh blood and in vivo feeding of tsetse flies, no differences were found, except the puparial weights were considerably higher in the colony fed on freeze-dried blood than those of the fresh blood colony. This membrane feeding technique eliminates the dependence on blood donor animals for rearing of tsetse flies and can be recommended for breeding colonies in Africa.