Is Phlebotomus argentipes Annandale and Brunetti (Diptera: Psychodidae) autogenous?

Phlebotomus argentipes is an established vector of visceral leishmaniasis in India and other countries of the sub-continent1,2. Phlebotomus argentipes is primarily zoophilic as it prefers animal bait seven times more than the human bait in similar situation3. However, the blood meal analysis proves that it is anthropophilic as well as zoophilic in nature4. Female P. argentipes takes blood from host for egg-laying. The emergence of adults after completing its life-cycle, takes approximately one month under favourable environmental conditions5. In nature most species of insects are gonotropically concordant, taking one blood meal to each batch of eggs maturation. However, autogeny (the ability to lay eggs without blood meal) has been reported in other species of sandflies but not in P. argentipes so far.