Induction of salivation in biting midges and mosquitoes, and demonstration of virus in the saliva of infected insects

Culicoides biting midges and Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) mosquitoes were induced to salivate by the topical application of pilocarpine, neostigmine, malathion and dimethoate; of these, malathion was the most effective. Drops of saliva produced by virus-infected midges and mosquitoes were shown to contain virus. The method could be used to demonstrate transmission in insects infected with a variety of pathogens.