The presence of fructose in wild-caught Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera:Psychodidae)

Sugar meals are an important part of the diet of sandflies which in the wild may be obtained either directly or indirectly from plants or from phytophagus insect secretions. Apart from providing an energy source sugars are also considered to play an important role in the transmission of leishmaniasis. The cold anthrone test used to detect fructose and sugars containing fructose moieties is the simplest and most convenient way to determine if wild-caught sandflies have engaged in sugar-feeding. In the present paper we describe the use of this test to determine the proportion of wild-caught Lutzomyia longipalpis that had taken a recent sugar meal.