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Identification of bloodmeals of the Scottish biting midge, Culicoides impunctatus, by indirect enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
Author(s) -
BLACKWELL A.,
LUNTZ A. J. MORDUE,
MORDUE W.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
medical and veterinary entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1365-2915
pISSN - 0269-283X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2915.1994.tb00378.x
Subject(s) - midge , culicoides , biology , ceratopogonidae , host (biology) , zoology , veterinary medicine , biting , vector (molecular biology) , ecology , larva , genetics , medicine , gene , recombinant dna
. An indirect enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been developed to identify the bloodmeal sources of Culicoides impunctatus Goetghebuer. Nightly light trapping in Scotland, between April and September 1992, caught a total of 344 blood‐engorged female C. impunctatus , all in May, June and July. The insects were stored in 70% ethanol and tested 5–7 months later. Bloodmeal sources were positively identified for 246 (71.5%). Bovine hosts were most common (38.4%), followed by deer (23.0%) and sheep (9.9%). Only one midge had fed on human blood. Relatively freshly fed (<24h), fully engorged females gave the clearest results. The wider applications of the technique to the study of Culicoides host preferences is discussed.