Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 12 4 2018 10 12 426 431 Mahboubeh Fatemi Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Zahra Saeidi Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Parviz Noruzian Tajhiz Gostar Omid Iranian Co, Tehran, Iran Amir Ahmad Akhavan Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2018 12 01 Background: Due to strict ethical rules, the risk of accidental disease transmission and the most importantly, inconven­ience regarding using of live animals, artificial feeding apparatus has been developed for colonization of haematophagous insects. Rearing of sandfly is more difficult than other haematophagous insects. Methods: In the current study, a new apparatus for membrane feeding of Phlebotomus papatasi was designed, made and compared with available apparatus in Sand Fly Insectary, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, in 2014. Results: In comparison to other apparatus designed for artificial feeding of other arthropods, our designed apparatus had the highest performance which after up to 1h, the majority of sand flies landed and took blood and among tested membranes, chicken skin was proved the most efficient membrane. Conclusion: Sand fly artificial feeding apparatus can be used at least for rearing of Ph. papatasi. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/1017 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/1017/420