On the accuracy of age-grading neotropical phlebotomines by counting follicular dilatations: first laboratory experiments using colonies of Lutzomyia flaviscutellata (Mangabeira) and L. Furcata (Mangabeira) (Diptera:Psychodidae)

Abstract

Blind trials using laboratory-bred females that had completed 0-3 gonotrophic cycles showed that Polovodova's method of assessing parity, by noting the presence of follicular dilatations, is applicable to Lutzomyia flaviscutellata (Mangabeira) andL. furcata (Mangabeira). However, at the resolution of the techniques used, classification is limited to a simple division into nulliparous and parous flies. The presence of granules in the ovarian accessory glands was found to be an unireliable indicator of parity for both species.