Methods in Anopheles Research - MR4

Chapter 2 : Anopheles Laboratory Biology and Culture2.4 Anopheles Culture2.4.8 Anopheles Adult CagingPage 2 of 4Metal-frame cagesMetal cages are good alternatives since they are autoclavable and therefore easily sterilized andreusable. One metal cage developed by Savage and Lowe (1971) consists of a single-piece bent-toshapealuminum sheet covered with tube-gauze (Medical Action Industries White T-1 Tubegauze ®#58205) (Figure 2.4.8.3). This cage is appropriate for small colonies of up to 500 adults if the colonymates well in a cage of this size. Removing the mesh netting between uses and autoclaving the metalportions make this a great choice for avoiding infection in colonies. The netting can be cleaned andreused or discarded.Another example of a larger design is shown in Figure 2.4.8.4 (BioQuip, www.bioquip.com) and worksbetter for colonies of the same number but that need more space for mating. It does require cleaningbetween uses. With either of these choices, introducing cups and bloodfeeding is easy.Figure 2.4.8.3. Savage cage, perfect for smallcolonies that mate well in small spaces.Figure 2.4.8.4. Autoclavable cage especiallyuseful for colonies that mate poorly andlarger numbers.The best cage solutions have plenty of resting space for the mosquito. Though having such space doesnot seem to be important for mating, it is preferred by some species and therefore assumed important for‘comfort’. With An. arabiensis mosquitoes, if a resting space is offered, usually more than 90% of themosquitoes will be inside that space (assuming it is large enough) at daylight times, see Figure 2.4.8.6.The use of red boxes has been published as preferred resting sites over some alternative trappingdevices in anophelines (Goodwin 1942). Thus, if mosquitoes choose red resting boxes in the wild, theywill most likely work well inside your cages. Red, most notably, and some shades of blue have beenshown to be preferred to black or other colors for Anopheles resting (Nuttall and Shipley 1902) and aretherefore good color choices.