Application of image analysis in the evaluation of blood feeding by Lutzomyia longipalpis using an artificial feeding system with synthetic membranes.
- 1Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Parasitologia, Laboratório de Fisiologia de Insetos Hematófagos, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
- 2Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
- 3Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Parasitologia, Laboratório de Artrópodes Hematófagos, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Abstract
Background
Blood feeding is essential for the maintenance of laboratory colonies and for experimental studies involving sand fly-parasite interactions. However, artificial feeding systems for Lutzomyia longipalpis, the principal vector of Leishmania infantum, the etiological agent of visceral leishmaniasis in the Americas, remain limited by low engorgement rates and methodological constraints in blood meal quantification.Objectives
This study evaluated the feeding performance of Lu. longipalpis on different membranes in an artificial feeder and applied an image-based approach to quantify blood meal size.Methods
Females were fed either on anaesthetised hamsters (in vivo control) or using a Hemotek® artificial feeder equipped with chick skin (CHK), hydrated collagen membrane treated with plasma gel (COL+PG), or untreated hydrated collagen membrane (COL). Blood meal size was estimated through digital image analysis in Fiji/ImageJ using two regions of interest: whole abdomen area (AbdA) and red-coloured blood area (BldA).Findings
Feeding rates were highest on live hosts (88.75%), followed by CHK (72.34%) and COL+PG (72.08%), whereas COL yielded significantly lower engorgement (54.67%). Although abdominal area was greater in females fed on hamsters, no significant differences in red-coloured area were detected among artificial membrane treatments. A strong positive correlation was observed between AbdA and BldA measurements (R² = 0.85), validating the image-based method. The use of plasma-treated collagen membranes achieved feeding rates comparable to CHK and was fully compatible with semi-automated image analysis.Main conclusions
These findings demonstrate that hydrated collagen membranes treated with plasma gel constitute a viable and ethically preferable alternative to bird-derived membranes for the artificial feeding of Lu. longipalpis, while image analysis provides a precise, reproducible, and practical method for blood meal quantification. Collectively, this approach refines laboratory experiments Lu. longipalpis and enhances methodological reliability in studies of sand fly biology and vector-parasite interactions.
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BibTeX
@article{costa2026application,
title = {{Application of image analysis in the evaluation of blood feeding by Lutzomyia longipalpis using an artificial feeding system with synthetic membranes.}},
author = {Lidiane Medeiros da Costa and Maurício Roberto Viana Sant'Anna and Laura Aquino Vaz and Geisler Peixoto da Cruz and Luisa de Melo Lara and Gabriel Davi Medeiros de Paula and Ricardo Nascimento Araujo and Nelder de Figueiredo Gontijo and Marcos Horacio Pereira},
journal = {Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1590/0074-02760260065},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42912045},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Application of image analysis in the evaluation of blood feeding by Lutzomyia longipalpis using an artificial feeding system with synthetic membranes.
AU - Lidiane Medeiros da Costa
AU - Maurício Roberto Viana Sant'Anna
AU - Laura Aquino Vaz
AU - Geisler Peixoto da Cruz
AU - Luisa de Melo Lara
AU - Gabriel Davi Medeiros de Paula
AU - Ricardo Nascimento Araujo
AU - Nelder de Figueiredo Gontijo
AU - Marcos Horacio Pereira
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/16
JO - Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
DO - 10.1590/0074-02760260065
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42912045
AB - Background Blood feeding is essential for the maintenance of laboratory colonies and for experimental studies involving sand fly-parasite interactions. However, artificial feeding systems for Lutzomyia longipalpis, the principal vector of Leishmania infantum, the etiological agent of visceral leishmaniasis in the Americas, remain limited by low engorgement rates and methodological constraints in blood meal quantification.Objectives This study evaluated the feeding performance of Lu. longipalpis on different membranes in an artificial feeder and applied an image-based approach to quantify blood meal size.Methods Females were fed either on anaesthetised hamsters (in vivo control) or using a Hemotek® artificial feeder equipped with chick skin (CHK), hydrated collagen membrane treated with plasma gel (COL+PG), or untreated hydrated collagen membrane (COL). Blood meal size was estimated through digital image analysis in Fiji/ImageJ using two regions of interest: whole abdomen area (AbdA) and red-coloured blood area (BldA).Findings Feeding rates were highest on live hosts (88.75%), followed by CHK (72.34%) and COL+PG (72.08%), whereas COL yielded significantly lower engorgement (54.67%). Although abdominal area was greater in females fed on hamsters, no significant differences in red-coloured area were detected among artificial membrane treatments. A strong positive correlation was observed between AbdA and BldA measurements (R² = 0.85), validating the image-based method. The use of plasma-treated collagen membranes achieved feeding rates comparable to CHK and was fully compatible with semi-automated image analysis.Main conclusions These findings demonstrate that hydrated collagen membranes treated with plasma gel constitute a viable and ethically preferable alternative to bird-derived membranes for the artificial feeding of Lu. longipalpis, while image analysis provides a precise, reproducible, and practical method for blood meal quantification. Collectively, this approach refines laboratory experiments Lu. longipalpis and enhances methodological reliability in studies of sand fly biology and vector-parasite interactions.
SN - 0074-0276
SN - 1678-8060
ER -