Obtaining eggs and rearing of larvae
Obtaining eggs of a species could be of great taxonomic value.
Obtaining and rearing larvae from eggs would allow studying the
distribution variation of body setae during the development of
the larva. Recording the time required from the hatching to the
pupa will be valuable for the life cycle study of the species.
To obtain eggs, females sucking blood of collectors must be
captured. These females are captured by using a glass jar with
wide rim, which is slightly placed on them once they have the
abdomen full of blood. The jar is then covered with a piece of
glass nylon, which is secured with a rubber band.
In the lab, females are put into the egg-laying chamber. This
chamber is a jar of 10 drams capacity with a 2cm cotton layer
placed in the bottom, over the cotton there is a piece of paper
filter (cut according to the jar diameter)(Fig
15). moistened with no-chlorine water. To put the female into
the egg-laying chamber, a plastic bag is used to make possible
the transferring from the collecting jar to the chamber. This
chamber is then covered with glass nylon secured with a rubber
band. It is important to avoid allowing the female to escape because
it could establish a new colony out of its natural distribution.
To keep females alive for the longest time possible, they have
to be fed by a small piece of cotton moistened with a solution
of sugar placed over the glass nylon.
The egg-laying chambers are checked every day. When eggs are
observed over the filter paper or on the walls of the chamber,
females are relocated into another chamber, and eggs are moved
to a plastic container with clean water using a fine paintbrush.
A collecting number is assigned to the female, which is the same
for the eggs. The date of the egg laying must be recorded in the
notebook. Every egg-laying event must be recorded separately with
its own date. A sample of eggs is preserved in 75% alcohol with
its corresponding number. Once a female dies, it must be pin mounted
with its corresponding number.
When eggs hatch, the date is also recorded in the notebook,
and a small amount of fish food (Tetra Min Baby Fish Food) is
added. As larvae go through their development stages, some larval
exuvias and larvae must be preserved. Once they are pupae, each
pupa and its corresponding larval exuvia must have the mother's
number followed by a new rearing number. Dates when pupa starts
and when adult emerges have to be recorded in order to estimate
the life cycle of the species.
