The saliva of adult female blackflies (Simuliidae: Diptera)

In tests with mammalian and avian bloods, agglutinin activity was found in saliva from females of Simulium decorum, S. venustum, and S. vittatum which were at least 12 h old, but not in saliva from 2-h-old females of S. decorum. Anticoagulant activity of the saliva varied among individuals of a species, but females of S. venustum showed a little higher activity than females of the other species. Heat destroyed this activity. Tests were unable to substantiate the idea that in these species, saliva is stored in the crop before blood feeding.

Sporogony of Leucocytozoon spp. in mammalophilic simuliids

Sporogony of Leucocytozoon simondi was completed in Simulium venustum (a mammalophilic simuliid) hat was force-fed on infected ducklings.

In vitro cultivation of exoerythrocytic stages of Leucocytozoon simondi

Spleen cells of ducklings infected with exoerythrocytic stages of L. simondi were grown in vitro for 5 days. Parasites of variable size and appearance developed in macrophages; some were closely associated with the nucleus of the cell, others were in the cytoplasm. The infected cells possess enlarged, and densely stained nuclei. The cultured parasites were infective to ducks and gave rise to elongate as well as round gametocytes. Parasites lived in cultures of hepatic tissues for at least 10 days, but hepatic schizonts were not seen.