Establishment and maintenance of two sand fly colonies (Phlebotomus perniciosus and Phlebotomus papatasi) to implement experimental infections

Abstract

Sand flies are vectors of Leishmania and Phlebovirus, pathogens responsible for public health concerns in numerous countries. Sand fly colonies are essential for research on vector-pathogen interactions. Methods for establishing and maintaining sand fly colonies have been well described in the literature. However, very few colonies of these considerable vectors currently exist. In order to encourage the creation of new colonies, we provide a timeline for researchers who want to implement colonies of Phlebotomus perniciosus and Phlebotomus papatasi. In this study, we set up colonies of both species to test and optimize their breeding conditions. For Ph. perniciosus, we reached a stable production of 800 individuals per week, one year after the start of the colony. For Ph. papatasi, a stable production of 400 individuals per week was reached 11 months after establishing the colony. Moreover, we have successfully conducted experiments within a year of establishing the colonies. In conclusion, our data on these two species showed that colonies could be established without difficulty with 1000-1500 eggs. It is possible to reach a stable weekly production of 800 individuals one year after starting the colony. We also describe colony settings and breeding recommendations to facilitate this procedure for other laboratories.