Methods in Anopheles Research - MR4

Chapter 2 : Anopheles Laboratory Biology and Culture2.4 Anopheles Culture2.4.8 Anopheles Adult CagingPage 1 of 42.4.8 Anopheles Adult CagingMR4 StaffIntroductionCages can be quite simple and are often improvised from easily obtained materials. The type of cage youwill use for adults will depend on amount of mosquitoes, availability of cage material, security requiredand behavioral constraints of the stock. The size of your cage must be large enough to promote or allowmating. Following are some caging options.Before purchasing or building cages, consider the number of adults that will be housed, ease of cleaning,and whether you prefer to dispose of them or reuse them. Purpose-built improvised cages are often asuseful as commercial options.Paper cansCylindrical paper containers are popular in insectary usage as they come in different sizes, areinexpensive and are disposable (Figure 2.4.8.1). A relatively small number (e.g. about 10-50 females andmales) of An. gambiae, An. stephensi, and An. albimanus adults will mate well in pint (~1/2 liter) papercups but can hold up to 100 adults without crowding, so this is a good container for many genetic crossesand small stocks. For a colony of 500-1,000 adults, a 3.8 liter (1 gallon) size container is moreappropriate.You can create a hole in the screen plugged with cotton for introducing mosquitoes or use tube-gauzestapled into a hole cut in the side to permit the introduction of cups for pupae or egg collection (Figure2.4.8.1). Using mesh netting on the top allows blood- and sugar feeding. Because of dripping blood andsugar water, paper containers will grow fungi in the bottom and must be disposed after use.Figure 2.4.8.1. Paper cartons of two sizes, pint(left) gallon (right), showing top entry (left) andside entry (right) solutions.Figure 2.4.8.2. Left: Small vial perfect forsingle pair matings or single female oviposition.Right: Single female placed in small vial withwater and egging paper for oviposition.Single-pair matings work well in small (approx 120 ml) plastic vials (Qorpak No. 3891, 6.75 cm deep, 4.5cm diameter) such as the one shown in Figure 2.4.8.2. It has been modified by cutting a hole in the topand covering with mesh for easy feeding and aspirator entry. Using small containers for single pair matingcan delay mating from the typical 1 or 2 days after emergence to 6-7 days. These small vials are alsouseful for collecting eggs from individual females. To egg with this container, simply fill to about 1 cmdepth with water and line with two filter paper strips that extend half way under water (Figure 2.4.8.2).