Academic literature on the topic 'Phlebotomine sand fly'

Phlebotomine sand flies are medically important insects widespread throughout the world and responsible for the transmission of several diseases to humans and other animals including leishmaniasis and sand fly fever. In Sri Lanka, a total of 22 species of sand flies belonging to two genera, namely: Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia, have been recorded with 6 and 16 species, respectively. The current study reports a complete list of the species of sand flies reported from Sri Lanka with a review on global and local distribution, biology and bionomics of each species as per published literature up to June 2018. Keywords: Sand fly, distribution, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae

Light traps represent the most used attractive system to collect and monitor phlebotomine sand flies. Recent studies have suggested that light traps can be easily upgraded by the use of light-emitting diode (LED) with positive effects on trap design, weight, and battery life. However, scant data on the effect of different LED colours on the attractiveness to phlebotomine sand fly species are available in literature. In this study, the capture performances of light traps equipped with different LED colours on phlebotomine sand fly species indigenous in the Mediterranean area were evaluated. Phlebotomine sand fly collections were performed using a classical light trap (CLT), equipped with a traditional incandescent lamp, and five Laika 4.0 light traps supplied, each with LED of different colours and wavelengths: (i) white; (ii) red; (iii) green; (iv) blue; (v) UV. Light traps were set for three consecutive nights fortnightly from May to October 2017 and climate data recorded using a meteorological station. A total of 411 phlebotomine sand flies (191 males and 220 females), belonging to three different species, namely, Phlebotomus perniciosus (n= 298, 141 males and 157 females), Sergentomyia minuta (n=110, 48 males and 62 females), and Phlebotomus neglectus (n=3, 2 males and 1 females) were collected. Abundance of capture was influenced by colours of LED and time. The highest number of phlebotomine sand flies was captured on June (P<0.01) and by UV LED (P<0.01). As regard to species, P. perniciosus was mainly captured by UV LED on June (P<0.01). No effect of time (P>0.05) or LED colour (P>0.05) was recorded for S. minuta and P. neglectus. According to the results of the present study light trap equipped with UV LED can represent an effective tool for the capture of sand fly species in the Mediterranean area.

AbstractThe distribution of phlebotomine sand flies is widely reported to be changing in Europe. This can be attributed to either the discovery of sand flies in areas where they were previously overlooked (generally following an outbreak of leishmaniasis or other sand fly-related disease) or to true expansion of their range as a result of climatic or environmental changes. Routine surveillance for phlebotomines in Europe is localized, and often one of the challenges for entomologists working in non-leishmaniasis endemic countries is the lack of knowledge on how to conduct, plan and execute sampling for phlebotomines, or how to adapt on-going sampling strategies for other haematophagous diptera. This review brings together published and unpublished expert knowledge on sampling strategies for European phlebotomines of public health concern in order to provide practical advice on: how to conduct surveys; the collection and interpretation of field data; suitable techniques for the preservation of specimens obtained by different sampling methods; molecular techniques used for species identification; and the pathogens associated with sand flies and their detection methods.

Groundbreaking studies of phlebotomine sand fly populations in Assis Brasil, State of Acre, Brazil, resulted in the collec-tion of 13 new records of phlebotomine sand flies and one previously undescribed species. Lutzomyia naiffi sp. nov. is described here. The new species is similar to Lutzomyia columbiana (Ristorcelli & Van Ty) in measurements and other morphological characters.

Phlebotomine sand flies are small tropical insects that have been implicated as vectors of several disease agents, including those responsible for the various forms of leishmaniasis. A study to determine the occurrence and monthly dynamics of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Phlebotominae) was conducted in three Local Government Areas (Wamakko, Sokoto South and Kware) of Sokoto State, Nigeria between May-November, 2016. A total of 1260 flies were collected using modified sticky traps placed in the various biotope types (refuse dumps and sewage tanks). Two sand fly genera Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia were encountered. It was also observed that males account for 860(68.3%) while the total number of female specimens was 400(31.7%). More flies were captured in Wamakko LGA of the State with a total number of 757 samples (60.1%), followed by Sokoto South LGA with a total number of 503(39.9%). Refuse dumps harboured 1,149 flies (91.2%) more than sewage tanks with a total number of 111(8.8%). No flies were captured in Kware LGA. Sand flies were more abundant in the peak rainy season of August and September and less or absent in the dry months. It was observed that rainfall and relative humidity were essential meteorological factors that determined the occurrence of sand flies in the study area. This study confirmed the occurrence of phlebotomine sand flies and the possibility of Leishmania transmission in the study-area. Keywords: Occurrence; sand flies; Phlebotomus; Sergentomyia; Leishmania; Sokoto.

Blood-sucking phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) transmit leishmaniasis as well as arboviral diseases and bartonellosis. Sand fly females become infected withLeishmaniaparasites and transmit them while imbibing vertebrates’ blood, required as a source of protein for maturation of eggs. In addition, both females and males consume plant-derived sugar meals as a source of energy. Plant meals may comprise sugary solutions such as nectar or honeydew (secreted by plant-sucking homopteran insects), as well as phloem sap that sand flies obtain by piercing leaves and stems with their needle-like mouthparts. Hence, the structure of plant communities can influence the distribution and epidemiology of leishmaniasis. We designed a next-generation sequencing (NGS)–based assay for determining the source of sand fly plant meals, based upon the chloroplast DNA gene ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase large chain (rbcL). Here, we report on the predilection of several sand fly species, vectors of leishmaniasis in different parts of the world, for feeding onCannabis sativa. We infer this preference based on the substantial percentage of sand flies that had fed onC. sativaplants despite the apparent “absence” of these plants from most of the field sites. We discuss the conceivable implications of the affinity of sand flies forC. sativaon their vectorial capacity forLeishmaniaand the putative exploitation of their attraction toC. sativafor the control of sand fly-borne diseases.

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are vectors of Leishmania, Bartonella and several arboviruses. Sand fly taxonomy has been mainly based on adult morphological characters and few larval characters have been used. In this work the egg and all larval instars of Evandromyia carmelinoi (= Lutzomyia carmelinoi migonei group of authors) are described, as well as the fourth instar of E. lenti, two morphologically similar species. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy were used to describe the species. The sand flies E. carmelinoi and E. lenti can be differentiated most readily by the antennae and the shoulder accessory b setae on the thoracic segments. Some information on the mouthpart morphology of Phlebotominae and Psychodinae that could be useful for future phylogenetic and systematic studies is also provided.

Phlebotomine sand flies are generalist vectors with significant implications for public health. They are able to transmit phleboviruses that cause sand fly fever, headaches, or meningitis in humans. Albania is a country in Southeast Europe with a typical Mediterranean climate which provides convenient conditions for the presence of sand flies. Hence, the circulation of phleboviruses, such as the Toscana and Balkan viruses, has been recently described in the country. We followed a virus discovery approach on sand fly samples collected in 2015 and 2016 in seven regions of Albania, with the aim to investigate and characterize potentially circulating phleboviruses in phlebotomine sand flies. A presumed novel phlebovirus was detected in a pool consisting of 24 Phlebotomus neglectus males. The virus was provisionally named the Drin virus after a river near the locality of Kukës, where the infected sand flies were trapped. Genetic and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Drin virus is closely related to the Corfou (CFUV) virus, isolated in the 1980s from Phlebotomus major sand flies on the eponymous island of Greece, and may also be involved in human infections because of its similarity to the sand fly fever Sicilian virus. The latter justifies further studies to specifically address this concern. Together with recent findings, this study confirms that Albania and the Balkan peninsula are hot spots for phleboviruses.

Phlebotomine sand flies are insects of medical importance. Species in the Neotropical region are highly diverse. Some of these species are considered cryptic species because of their morphological similarity between adult females of different species make identification especially difficult. The aim of this study was to analyze and describe the armature in the genital atrium (AGA) of some adult female sand flies, in order to discover new taxonomic characters that make it possible to distinguish between species that would otherwise be treated as cryptic by analysis of the AGA. The AGA of 16 Phlebotomine sand fly species are described. Distinct differences were found in relation to the shape and size of the armature, the presence or absence of spines on the armature, and the shape, size, and grouping patterns of the spines. These characters made it possible to distinguish between the species studied.

La communauté Rurale de Mont-Rolland (région de Thiès, Sénégal) est un foyer endémique de leishmaniose canine décrit depuis 1970. Des études épidémiologiques récentes ont montré que l'agent étiologique est Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum et que le cycle de transmission est bien établi sur l'ensemble de la commune, avec plus de 30% des chiens et plus de 20% des hommes séropositifs. Néanmoins, malgré les différentes études épidémiologiques, le vecteur reste toujours inconnu. Jusqu'à présent, aucune espèce de Phlebotomus, connue pour être vecteur de L. infantum (sous genre Larroussius et secondairement Adlerius), n'a été identifiée au Sénégal. Dans ce contexte, l'objectif principal de cette thèse était d'identifier les vecteurs potentiels de la maladie et de caractériser le cycle de transmission de la leishmaniose canine par des études écologiques, parasitologiques et moléculaires des populations de phlébotomes. Ainsi, 7442 spécimens de phlébotomes ont été récoltés par piégeage adhésif, piégeage lumineux et par pulvérisations intradomiciliaires d'insecticides pyréthrinoïdes. Neuf espèces de phlébotomes ont été identifiées : deux appartiennent au genre Phlebotomus, P. duboscqi (vecteur de la leishmaniose cutanée au Sénégal) et P. rodhaini, les autres espèces appartiennent au genre Sergentomyia, S. adleri, S. clydei, S. antennata, S. buxtoni, S. dubia, S. schwetzi, et S. magna. La distribution spatiale des phlébotomes est hétérogène selon le village, selon l'écosystème et l'environnement de capture. Les études parasitologiques et les études moléculaires (PCR diagnostique de Leishmania) ont révélé trois espèces de Sergentomyia infectées par L. infantum, S. dubia (dissection et PCR), S. schwetzi (dissection et PCR) et S. magna (PCR). Il faut noter que plus de 2% des individus femelles à jeun testées étaient PCR positives, soulignant la survie des parasites chez ces espèces après la digestion. Toutes les autres espèces étaient négatives aussi bien en dissection qu'en PCR. Les analyses statistiques ont montré : que la distribution de S. dubia est significativement associée à la séroprévalence chez les chiens, que les individus de S. schwetzi positifs en PCR sont significativement associés à la séroprévalence chez le chien, qu'il y a un effet significatif du nombre de phlébotomes positifs en PCR (les 3 espèces confondues) sur la séroprévalence chez l'homme. Toutes ces données démontrent pour la première fois que 3 espèces du genre Sergentomyia, S. dubia, S. schwetzi et probablement S. magna, sont les vecteurs de la leishmaniose canine dans le foyer de Mont-Rolland. Ces résultats remettent en question le dogme qui stipule que seul le genre Phlebotomus serait capable de transmettre le parasite Leishmania dans l'Ancien-Monde. L'étude du comportement et de la distribution de ces trois espèces et de leurs spécimens infectés nous ont permis de proposer un modèle de transmission dans ce foyer
AbstractThe rural community of Mont-Rolland (Thiès, Sénégal) is an endemic focus of canine leishmaniasis described since 1970. Recent epidemiological studies showed that the causative agent is Leishmania infantum with well established transmission cycle throughout the area. However, despite the several epidemiological studies, the vector species is still unknown. So far, no species of Phlebotomus belongs to Larroussius and Adlerius subgenera, known as vector of L. infantum, was identified in Senegal. In this context, the main objective of this thesis was to identify potential vectors of the disease and to characterize the cycle of canine leishmaniasis transmission by ecological, parasitological and molecular studies on sandfly populations. Thus, 7442 specimens were collected by sticky traps, light traps and indoor spraying with pyrethroid insecticide from different environments (intradomiciliary, peridomiciliary, culture area, isolated area) and different villages and ecosystems (sandy soils, lateritic gravel soils and sandy clay soils). Nine species of sand flies were identified; two belong to the Phlebotomus genus, P. duboscqi (vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Senegal) and P. rodhaini, the other species belong to the Sergentomyia genus, S. adleri, S. clydei, S. antennata, S. buxtoni, S. dubia, S. schwetzi, and S. magna. Two species of the Phlebotomus genus were significantly underrepresented (292 specimens) compared to species of the Sergentomyia genus (7150 specimens). The spatial distribution of sand flies is heterogeneous depending on the village, the ecosystem and environment, suggesting that several species are capable of transmitting the parasite. Parasitological and molecular studies (diagnostic PCR of Leishmania) revealed that three species of Sergentomyia were infected with L. infantum, S. dubia (dissection and PCR), S. schwetzi (dissection and PCR) and S. magna (PCR). It is worth noting that more than 2% of un-fed females of these species were PCR-positive, emphasizing the survival of parasites after digestion. All other species were found to be negative in both PCR and dissection. In addition, statistical analysis showed that 1) the distribution of S. dubia is significantly associated with seroprevalence in dogs, 2) PCR-positive individuals of S. schwetzi are significantly associated with seroprevalence in dogs, 3) there is a significant effect of PCR-positive sand flies (all species considered) on seroprevalence in humans. All these data demonstrated for the first time that three species of Sergentomyia, S. dubia, S. schwetzi and probably S. magna, are the vectors of the canine leishmaniasis in the Mont-Rolland commune. The results presented in this study challenge the dogma which states that only the Phlebotomus genus would be capable of transmitting Leishmania parasites in the Old World. The behaviour and distribution of these three species and their infected specimens allowed us to propose a model of transmission in the focus