Ecology, Epidemiology and Control of Sand Flies from Kolhapur Region, India

Kolhapur region of Maharashtra, India provides very rich biodiversity due to high rainfall (700-6000 mm), temperature range 8 41C, several types of water bodies and decaying organic matters of both plant and animal origin. The environment of Kolhapur thus, is very conducive for sand fly populations. The sand flies suck the blood of humans, domestic and wild animals and transmit diseases like Leishmaniasis (kalaazar), three day fever, yellow fever, oroya fever etc. in different parts of the world. Therefore, ecology and control measures of Phlebotomus sand flies (Diptera : Psychodidae) have been studied from Kolhapur, India. A total of 15 species of the genus Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia belonging to 9 sub genera have been reported. The seasonal abundance and life cycles in P. (E.) argentipes, P. (E.) glaucus and P. (I.) tubifer have been reported at 27±1C, 70-80% R.H. and 12 hr photoperiod in the laboratory. They completed their life cycles from egg to adult within 25 days, 45 days and 52 days respectively. All above 3 species were very abundant in monsoon season than in winter and summer. Sergentomyia (S.) smithi, S.(N.) chalarni, S.(N.) malbarica, S.(G.) poonaensis and P.(E.) glaucus were mostly found in plains and in relatively less rainfall area. While, P.(I.) tubifer, S. (G.) indica, S.(N.) dhandai, S.(N.) chakravarti, S.(N.) hodssoni and S.(N.) iyengari were found mostly in forests and heavy rain areas. Hence, Kolhapur region is supposed to be a high risk area for sand fly borne diseases. Therefore, preventive and curative control measures are given in the text.