BACKGROUND The saliva of sand flies strongly enhances the infectivity of Leishmania in mice. Additionally, pre-exposure to saliva can protect mice from disease progression probably through the induction of a cellular immune response. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We analysed the cellular immune response against the saliva of Phlebotomus papatasi in humans and defined the phenotypic character...

An entomological investigation performed in 2013 covering different bio-geographical areas varying from humid in the north to the arid in the center showed that sand flies of the subgenus Larroussius including Phlebotomus perniciosus, Phlebotomus perfiliewi, and Phlebotomus longicuspis are abundant and widely distributed in Tunisia. A total of 3992 collected and pooled with up to 30 specimens p...

To editor: Toscana Virus belongs to the genus Phleobovirus, family Bunyaviridae. They are transmitted in the Mediterranean area by Phlebotomus perniciosus and Phlebotomus perfiliewi sandflies (Braito et al., 1997). Toscana virus (TOSV) was first isolated in 1971 from Phlebotomus perniciosus in Monte Argentario (Grosseto, Tuscany) (Verani et al., 1982). Sandflyborne TOSV was recognized as a lead...

During summer 2007, a total of 785 phlebotomine flies were trapped in northern Algeria, identified morphologically, organised as monospecific pools and tested for the presence of phlebovirus RNA using degenerate primers. Three pools were positive, and the corresponding PCR products were cloned and sequenced. Viral sequences corresponding to two phleboviruses distinct from each other were detect...

during the period of april to november 1994, an investigation was carried out on fauna of phlebotominac in ilam province, west of iran. about 12000 sandflies were caught by sticky trap, light trap and aspirator from different ecological regions and were identified. these sandflies consist of 22 species (11 species from the genus phlebotomus: ph. paptasi, ph.sergenti, ph.alexandri, ph.rnajor, ph...

An entomological survey was carried out in two districts of central (Kruje) and northern (Lezhe) Albania. Six collecting sites, showing a variety of diurnal resting sites, were monitored for adult sandflies from June through October 2002. Flies were collected with CDC miniature light traps, sticky traps and mechanical or hand aspirators in peridomestic sites, in bedrooms and inside cow barns, c...

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 ...

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is one of the most important vector-borne endemic diseases in Turkey. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of temperature on the developmental rates of one important vector of leishmaniasis, Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli, 1786) (Diptera: Psychodidae). Eggs from laboratory-reared colonies of Phlebotomus papatasi were exposed to six constant tempe...

BACKGROUND Phlebotomus perniciosus and Phlebotomus longicuspis are two phlebotomine sand fly species morphologically similar and differing in males only by the shape of the copulatory valves which are bifurcated in P. perniciosus, tip long and tapered in P. longicuspis. METHODS A count of the median coxite setae was carried out on 208 specimens from the collections of Dedet and of Parrot, ide...

Numerical analyses (correspondence analysis, ascending hierarchical classification, cladistic approach) were applied to the morphological characters of the adults of the genus Phlebotomus Rondani & Berté 1840. They confirm the reliability of the classic classifications, and also redefine the taxonomic and phylogenetic position of certain taxa. Thus, Spelaeophlebotomus Theodor 1948. Idiophleboto...