AUTHOR=Gregory Taylor M. , Heniff Ashlyn C. , Gorges Melinda A. , Lathan Andrew W. , Lewbart Gregory A. , Balko Julie A. 

TITLE=Development and Evaluation of a Serum Transfusion Process in the Thorny Devil Stick Insect (Eurycantha calcarata)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.847043

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2022.847043

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=The thorny devil stick insect (Eurycantha calcarata) is a common invertebrate maintained under human care.  Blood (hemolymph) transfusions are a widely used therapeutic tool in other species, but investigation in terrestrial arthropods remains scarce.  Study objectives were development and evaluation of a serum transfusion process in the thorny devil stick insect.   Twenty-five clinically healthy adult insects (9.9-23.0 g) were enrolled and baseline body weights were collected.  Hemolymph collection was not successful in males, thus, all were recipient only (n=12, MR).  Females were divided into donor (n=4, FD) or donor and recipient (n=9, FDR) groups.  Females were manually restrained and up to 1 mL of hemolymph was collected from the abdominal segment caudal to the proximal hindlimb using an 18 g hypodermic needle and passive collection via gravity.  Hemolymph was quantified, centrifuged, and the serum separated.  Insects were then injected superficially at the lateral aspect of the abdomen with 0.01 mL/g FD serum (MR), lactated Ringer’s solution (LRS) equal to collected hemolymph volume (FD), or a combination of FDR serum and LRS equal to collected hemolymph volume (FDR).  Response to stimulation, surface temperature, and righting reflex and mortality were serially assessed for up to 24 hours and 7 days, respectively, following injection.  In FD, median (range) injected LRS dose was 0.04 (0.03-0.06) mL/g.  In FDR, median (range) injected serum, LRS, and combined serum and LRS dose was 0.03 (0.02-0.04), 0.01 (0-0.04), and 0.04 (0.02-0.06) mL/g, respectively.  A mild temperature increase (maximum +2.9 °C) (MR n=10, FD n=3, FDR n=8) and delayed righting reflex (MR n=4, FD n=3, FDR n=7) occurred in a subset of insects following injection.  Two deaths occurred at 2 minutes (n=1, FDR) and 96 hours (n=1, FD) post-injection.  This is the first report of serum transfusions in thorny devil stick insects, and while largely successful, minor to severe transfusion reactions may occur.