Avaliação de alimentador artificial para Lutzomyia longipalpis e melhorias na utilização de baterias da armadilha CDC

Abstract

Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) (Diptera: Psychodidae) is the main vector of the protozoan Leishmania infantum in Brazil. Its surveillance is carried out by surveillance centers, such as the Zoonosis Surveillance Unit (UVZ) in Natal-RN. In the field, this vector is monitored through collections using the CDC trap. In addition, laboratory maintenance requires blood ingestion, usually from a vertebrate, which can bring contamination risks to the colony and impair the food source. This study aimed to standardize an artificial feeding model for L. longipalpis in a laboratory environment and enable the use of solar energy for the functioning of CDC traps. Feeders commonly used in mosquito colonies were tested. An artificial feeder called Flebfeeding was also constructed, using equipment such as a thermostat, boiler, aquarium pump, plastic hoses, water heating reservoir, and a flat-bottomed flask. The results showed that the FlebFeeding system was efficient in maintaining the blood temperature during feeding and attracting insects, with an average feeding success rate of 53% for females. Engorged females laid an average of 17.49 eggs, and the eggs were viable, with the hatching of larvae and adults in the rearing pots. To evaluate the efficiency of solar charging, a charger was built with a 100W solar panel directly connected to wires attached to the positive and negative terminals of a voltage regulator and the battery. Although the charging took longer than the conventional charger, about 20 hours to complete, with an average current of 0.44A, it was found that the charging was efficient and had a similar field use durability to a conventionally charged battery, which took an average of 10.6 hours to reach full battery charge, with an average current of 1A. The results indicate that artificial feeding through Flebfeeding is effective for L. longipalpis females and offers advantages over conventional feeding, as reducing the use of animals in laboratory experiments is an important ethical principle. As for charging CDC trap batteries with photovoltaic panels, it is a viable option and may potentially generate savings in public expenses. However, further research and costbenefit analyses are necessary to evaluate the feasibility of the techniques on a larger scale.