Abstract

Background: Forcipomyia taiwana, a small biting midge that has an island-wide presence in Taiwan, is a notoriously annoying bloodsucking pest. Bites from female F. taiwana can cause itching, swelling, lesions, and severe anaphylactic reactions; however, little is known about the factors that enhance or hinder their bloodsucking behavior.
Methods: A pilot study of F. taiwana was conducted on two New Zealand White rabbits under controlled conditions. Sweat from human subjects was collected and applied to the right ears of study rabbits, while distilled water was applied to the left ears, and differences in F. taiwana feeding behavior were subsequently assessed.
Results: Rabbit ears treated with human sweat experienced greater F. taiwana biting frequency overall, but preliminary results suggest that sweat with higher microbial diversity may induce less feeding behavior. Tentative correlations between bacterial genera and degree of biting attraction to F. taiwana were also assessed.
Conclusion: This pilot study of a F. taiwana bloodsucking model provides insight into how human sweat and microbial diversity can affect feeding behavior, and the results may be useful for the development of effective biorepellants against F. taiwana. In addition, the rabbit model presented can also serve as a useful platform for future related research.