A laboratory technique for establishing Simulium larvae in an experimental channel

Abstract

A laboratory technique is described which enables large numbers of Simulium larvae from field sources to be established in a narrow 12-in. long experimental channel in the laboratory where they can be maintained in a continuous flow of water. The apparatus was primarily designed for a critical study of the reactions of larvae exposed to various time/concentrations of larvicides and other chemicals. By exposing dense aggregations of many hundred larvae at a time, significant figures can be obtained regarding the number of larvae detached at various intervals during and after exposure to larvicide, and also regarding the subsequent survival or mortality of the different detached fractions.