Mini Notes on Sandfly

1. Sandfly
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diapter
Family: Psychodidae
Genera: Phlebotomus
Sandflies are small insects, light or dark- brown in colour.
They are smaller than mosquitoes, measuring 1.5 to 2.5 mm in length with their bodies and wings densely
clothed with hair. Some 30 species of sand-flies have been recorded in India. The important ones are:
Phlebotomus argentipes, P papatasii, P sergenti, and Sergentomyia punjabensis.
Morphology:
The body is divided into 3 distinct parts namely head thorax and abdomen.
Diagram of Sandfly:
Head:
The head bears
- A pair of large, prominent, black eyes,
- A shaggy median proboscis,
- A pair of maxillary palpi and
- A pair of multisegmented antennae.
Thorax:
Thorax bears
- A pair of hairy, lanceolate shaped wings dorsally
- Three pairs of legs ventrally.
- The legs are long and slender, hairy, disproportionate to the
size of the body and adopted for hopping or jumping.
Abdomen:
Abdomen has ten segments, covered with hairs, 8 are visible and
the last two are modified into genitalia. (Clasper/ Style in male
sandfly and Cerci in female sandfly).
The sandflies differ from mosquitoes in that they are smaller, hairy, wings are lanceolate shaped, second vein
branches twice, the first branch taking place in the middle of the wing, legs are abnormally longer, adopted for
hopping and the sandflies do not fly by choice.

2. Life history:
Sandfly undergoes complete metamorphosis consisting of four stages as follows:
1. EGG: The eggs are laid in damp dark places in the vicinity of cattle sheds and poultry. The eggs are
comparatively large, and torpedo-shaped with longitudinal wavy lines on the outside. The eggs hatch within
7 days. The eggs turn dark after being laid and have sculpted surface.
2. LARVA: The larvae are hairy maggots with a distinct head, thorax and abdomen. The last abdominal
segment carries two pairs of long stout hairs; one pair is remarkably long. The larva feeds on decaying
organic matter and becomes a pupa in about 2 weeks. 4 instar stages.
3. PUPA: The pupal stage lasts for about 1 week.
4. ADULT: The average life of a sandfly is about 2 weeks.
It takes about 30 to 45 days for the completion of the life cycle and the adult lives for about 15 days.
The flight range is about 50 to 70 meters.
Diagram of life cycle of sandfly:

3. Bionomics:
 Breeding habits: They are nocturnal pests. During day time, they hide in tree holes, cracks, crevices in the
intra- or peri- domestic places where soil is moist and rich in organic matter.
 Feeding and biting habits: They are anthropophilic. Their bite is irritating, painful. Usually they bite lower
extremities. They bite even through clothes.
 Dispersal: They do not fly. They may hop and jump. Dispersal range is 50-100 yards.
Control measures:
1. Environmental measures:
a. Removal of breeding places
b. Clearing vegetation within 50 yards of human dwellings.
c. Filling cracks and crevices.
d. Location of cattle sheds, poultry houses at a distance from human habitation
e. Keeping the house clean from dirt, rubbish collection.
2. Personal Protection against sandfly bite:
a. Protective clothing for lower extremities
b. Repellents: Benzyl Benzoate, DMP(Dimethyl Pthyalate), DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide)
c. Insecticide treated bed nets.
d. Avoid sleeping on ground.
e. Health education to the public.
3. Chemical control
a. Insecticides: A single application of 1 to 2 g/m2
of DDT or 0.25 g/m2
of lindane.
Spraying is done in human dwellings cattle sheds, dark rooms, cracks and crevices etc. the residual
action lasts for 1-2 years (for DDT and 3 months for lindane).