ISCEP 2026 At Sunway Putra Hotel 17-18 August 2026
ABSTRACT
PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF A LOW-COST CERAMIC-BASED ARTIFICIAL BLOOD FEEDING SYSTEM FOR AEDES AEGYPTI COLONISATION IN INSECTICIDE RESISTANCE TESTING
T1_07
Manimegalai V', Rafidah ALI*, Hanipah SHAHAR', Aishah Hani AZIL'
Puhajaya Federal Territory State Health Office Kale Lampu Malaysia Tripical ectious Disease Research & Education Centre (TIDRECL
High Impact Research Building HR Universi Malaya Kaala Lumpur Malaysia Deputent of Parslogy and Medical Enology Faculty of Medicine, Universi Kebangsa Mala Chess Kala Lampu Malaysi
Artificial blood feeding (ABF) systems are important for maintaining mosquito colonies for insecticide resistance research. However, the Kuala Lumpur Entomology Laboratory lacks facilities for live-animal feeding, and commercial devices are expensive. This study aimed to develop and conduct a preliminary evaluation of a low-cost, ceramic-based ABF system for Aedes aegypti colonization. Aedes aegypt eggs collected from ovitraps in Wangsa Keramat were reared under standard insectary conditions. A total of 100 ten-day-old female mosquitoes were used in six blood-feeding trials with bovine blood. A ceramic pot was covered with a Parafilm membrane, which served as the artificial feeder, and tested with 6 heating methods to determine the optimal feeding temperature. The ceramic pot was heated using either a microwave (39°C-88°C) or a heating plate (38C-76°C) and then exposed to mosquitoes for one hour. Three trials failed due to temperatures that were either too low or too high, causing poor feeding or membrane damage. Successful feeding was achieved when the pot was cooled to approximately 35°C before use. The mean feeding success rate was 68%, with rates exceeding 80% in the final two trials. The ceramic feeder was approximately 113 times cheaper than a commercial feeder representing a 99% cost savings. The ceramic pot provided adequate heat retention while maintaining membrane integrity. These findings suggest that a simple, locally available ceramic pot is a cost-effective alternative for mosquito colonization in resource-limited laboratories. However, further studies are needed to evaluate long-term colony performance and reproductive outcomes across multiple generations to ensure proper insecticide resistance testing.
Keywords: artificial blood feeding low cost, colonization, Adesagt, insecticide resistance, comic pot
INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON ENTOMOLOGY AND PEST SCEP) 2005