This document provides information on sand flies: - Sand flies are small flies that belong to the family Psychodidae and have medical and veterinary importance as vectors of diseases. Over 700 species have been described worldwide. - They transmit diseases like leishmaniasis, bartonellosis, vesicular stomatitis virus, and sand fly fever virus. The main disease-transmitting genera include Lutzomyia, Phlebotomus, and Sergentomyia. - Sand flies have characteristic morphological features including long antennae, hairy bodies, and wing venation patterns. Females of many species feed on blood and can transmit pathogens through their bites.

1. Get Ready…………

2.  700 species have been described
 Originated about 120 million years ago before mammals
 Six genera
 Lutzomyia***
 Brumptomyia
Warileya
 Phlebotomus**
Sergentomyia*
 Chinius
Pest
 Vector importance
Family: Psychodidae
Sand Fly
New world
(Green colour)
Old world
(Ash colour)

3. Diptera
Nematocera
Brachycera
Cyclorrhapa
Arthopoda
Insecta
Order
Sub-Order
Family
Class
Phylum
Psychodidae
S/F: Phlebotominae S/F: Psychodinae
 Lutzomyia
 Brumptomyia
Warileya
 Phlebotomus
Sergentomyia
 Chinius
Genus
Zoological Classification of sand fly

4. Family: Psychodidae
Psychodids:
 small nematoceran flies
 Long antennae
 Pendulous palps
 hairy bodies and wings
 wing venation: more or less parallel
Longitudinal veins, radial vein 3 or 4 branched and the
media 4 branched
Phlebotomus spp (sand Fly)
Psychoda spp (Moth Fly)
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5. Wing of Psychodid
Wing of Phlebotomine (sand fly)
Antennae: 16 segment
Pliose type (in male, female)
Palp: recurved, hairy , 5 segmented, 3rd segment
bears sensilia
Old world species: 5th palpal segment longest
New old species: 3rd palpal segment longest

6. S/F: Phlebotominae S/F: Psychodinae
Family: Psychodidae
Phlebotomine sand fly:
Brownish, long legged, narrow body
moderately long mouth parts
Palps: 5 segmented
Well developed mandibles
Female are haemtophagus
 Mandible absent in male
 Lanceolate wings
 Wing held erect above the body
Wing: the fork of R2+3 and R4 occurs
about the middle of the body
 Distribution: Mostly Warmer areas
Psychodids: (majority)
 Dark, Squat flies
 Mouth part not piercing type
 Don’t fed on blood
 Broad oval wings
 Held roof like over the body at rest
 Wing: the fork of R2+3 and R4 occurs at the
base of the wing
 Larvae have posterior siphon
 Secondary annulations on tergal plate

7. Life cycle
Larva
Exarate Pupa
Caudal Hairs
Spiracle: on Prothorax & 8th abdominal
segment
Intersegmental setae
PPP: 5-6wks
pseduopod
P. Papatasi = 40-80 eggs at a time
Required tem>150 C

8. Bionomics of Phlemotominae:
Distribution:
 Old world phlebotomines are savanna and desert species ( low rainfall)
 Population increases after rainy seasons
 but P. papatasi and P. argentipes (India): se in monsoon and se in dry season
 New world phlebotomines are mainly inhabitants of forests ( high rain fall)
 Host Range: Mostly broad host range
 L. gomezi: Feed on Birds and mammals
 L. vespertilionis: Bats
 P. papatasi : man and dog
 P. argentipes: man and cattle
Breeding place places: dark, cool, humid niches like cracks, crevices
of soil, manure, rocks, tree hollows, nests, tree crotches, animal burrows,
(e.g. burrow of rodent), stables, livestock pens, well or any moist places

9. Feeding :
 Feed on plant sap, Nectar, honey dew and blood
 Feed on mammals: mainly Phlebotomus and Lutzomyia
 Sand fly feed on exposed areas of skin
 Feeding is mainly nocturnal and Crepuscular
 P. argentipes feed on midnight (11pm to 03am) in India but in Srilanka after 2am to 6am)
 P. orientalis feed on human after sunset, ceased below 160C
 P papatasi also feed during day under shaded condition in doors

10.  Most of the species Exophilic zoophilic
 A few species: Endophilic and Anthopophlic
 Phelobotomus papatasi (Meditterian and Middle East)
 Phelobotomus sergenti (Iran)
 P. argentipes (India)
Lutzomyia longipalpis (Brazil)
Exophilic and Endophilic
P. longipes (cave dwelling species)
 (Ethiopia, cattle, Addis Ababa People near cattle shed)
Append most of the time in animal Sheds, dark corners of houses
P. orientalis (Ethiopia, exophilic but markedly Antrhopophilic)
 P. papatasi breeds in cattle sheds

11.  Blood meal is required for most of the species except
 Autogeny occurs in P. papatasi and L. gomezi
Flight range: 100-200m up to 1 Km
 Flight is inhibited by wind and rain (e.g. don’t fly >15kph)
 Nuisance
 L. verrucarum causes sleep difficulty, 300 bits per night (In a study)
 Biting: pink or red papule (2-3mm), itching
 Prolong exposure: Desensitization or no reaction to bites
Medical and Veterinary Importance
Disease Causal agent Distribution Reservoir Vector
Vesicular
Stomatitis
Vesicular
stomatitis
virus
Tropical & sub-
tropical region,
Monkey, horse,
Swine, Cattle
Lutzomyia spp
Bartonellosis
/Carrion’s
disease/
Oroya fever
Bartenella
bacilliformis
Peru, Columbia None Lutzomyia spp
L. verrucarum
L. peruensis
L. columbiana

12. Disease Causal agent Distribution Reservoir Vector
Sand Fly fever/
Papatasi fever
Sand fly virus Tropical & sub-
tropical region, Asia
Rodent Phlebotomus papatasi,
(transovarian transmission)
P. chinensis
P. perfiliewi,
P. Perniciosus
Cutaneous
Leishmaniosis (Old
world)
Leishmania major
L. tropica
Tropical & sub-
tropical region, Asia
Monkey, Rodent,
dog
P. papatasi, (Bangladesh)
P. Major (Bangladesh)
P. longipes
P. Sergenti
P. caucasicus
Cutaneous
Leishmaniosis (New
world)
L. braziliense
L. Columbiensis
Tropical & sub-
tropical region,
America
Monkey, rodents
mongoose,
canine etc.
Lutzomyia gomezi
etc
Visceral Leishmaniosis
(Old world)
Leishmania donovani Tropical & sub-
tropical region,
Africa, Europe,
America,
Canine, rats P. orientalis
P. argentipes (india)
P. chinensis (chinia)
P. caucasicus
Visceral Leishmaniosis
(New world)
Leishmania
chagasi
Do Opossums,
canine
L. cruzi
L. evansi,
L. longipalpis

13. leishmaniosis
Espundia/
MCL
PKDL=re-occurance of
Leishmaniosis

14. Ref: WHO
Distribution of leishmaniosis

15. Verruga Peruana
Bartonellosis or

16. Prevention:
Alternative Repellent
•Any citrus juice
•Eucalyptus oil
•Coconut oil
•Avocado oil mixed with Dettol
•Baby oil mixed with Dettol
•Chinese herbal oil
•Essential lavender oil
•Tea tree oil
•Listerine
•Tiger Balm (Red, White, Ultra)
•Eucalipto
•Vinegar
 DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide,) application on skin or cloths
Insect repellent, effective against Mosquitoes, tic, mite or other insect
Control:
o Removal of dense vegetation
o DDT (100-300mg/ft2 ) recommended by WHO, protection form 2 years
o HCH…….

17. Prepared by DR. Md. Abdul Alim
Assistant Professor
Department of Pathology and Parasitology, CVASU
and PhD fellow, James Cook University, Australia
email: mdabdul.alim@my.jcu.edu.au
References
1. D.S., Kettle (2000). Medical and Veterinary Entomology, CAB International,2nd
edi,pp…
2. Gary and Lance, (2009). Medical and Veterinary Entomology. 2nd Edn, Elsevier,
Inc, pp…