Sand flies (Med Entomology)

1. SAND FLIES
(Phlebotominae)
PREPARED BY:
SHARMINE S. BALLESTEROS

2.  Phlebotominae include many genera of blood-feeding
(hematophagous) diptera, including the primary vectors of
leishmaniasis, Oroya fever and pappataci fever.
 It is also called as sand gnat, sandflea, no-see-um, granny
nipper, chitra, or punky.
 Sandflies are distributed worldwide.
INTRODUCTION

3.  In the New World, leishmaniasis is spread by sandflies of the
genus Lutzomyia;
 In the Old World, the disease is spread by sandflies of the
genus Phlebotomus.
 Sandflies are carrier of Chandipura virus, which is relative to
rabies, is very deadly. There was an outbreak in India in 2010.

4.  Adult sandflies are 3 mm in length.
 Golden, brownish or gray in color.
 They have long, piercing mouthparts that are well adapted for
sucking blood from their selected host.
 They hold their hairy-looking wings in a vertical V-shape when
at rest.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

6.  They have six long legs, which is typically longer than their body.
 They are most active at twilight, night or shade.
 They develop a complete metamorphosis – egg, larva, pupa, and
adult.

7.  Female sandflies are responsible for biting and sucking blood in
mammals, reptiles and birds.
 When feeding, they inject biochemical inhibiting blood clotting
and stimulates mast cells to produce histamine distending
capillary vessels, promoting blood flow.
 The protein in the blood is necessary for the production of eggs.

8.  They have anautogenous reproduction, which means they need
blood meal before they can produce eggs.
 One blood meal can support the production of about 100 eggs.
 Females lay their eggs in humid soil rich in organic matter.

9.  They cannot fly more than 106 meters from their breeding area.
 Some sandflies are exophagic, living entirely out of doors, while
others are endophagic, invade houses.

10.  The body of sandflies are divided in three parts: head, thorax, and abdomen.
 HEAD:
 It bears a pair of conspicuous black eyes.
 It has a long, slender and hairy antennae, palpi, and proboscis.
 THORAX
 It bears a pair of wings and 3 pairs of legs
 Wings upright, oval lanceolate, and densely hairy and devoid of scales.
EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY

12.  ABDOMEN
 It has 10 segments and covered with hair.
 Males possess three long, prominent genitalia known as
claspers, which are attached to the posterior end of the
abdomen.
 Females have a pair of anal recti.

13. MALE FEMALE
Claspers
Anal recti

15. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SANDFLY AND MOSQUITO
SANDFLY MOSQUITO
SIZE 3 mm long 4-5 mm long
COLOR Yellowish brown Black
EGG PRODUCTION 40-60 eggs 100-250 eggs
FLIGHT RANGE 200 yards 2-3 kilometers
LIFE SPAN 2 weeks 2-3 weeks