Phlebotomine sand flies (Psychodidae: Diptera) of Sri Lanka: a review on diversity, biology and bionomics

Abstract

Phlebotomine sand flies are medically important insects widespread throughout the world and responsible for the transmission of several diseases to humans and other animals including leishmaniasis and sand fly fever. In Sri Lanka, a total of 22 species of sand flies belonging to two genera, namely: Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia, have been recorded with 6 and 16 species, respectively. The current study reports a complete list of the species of sand flies reported from Sri Lanka with a review on global and local distribution, biology and bionomics of each species as per published literature up to June 2018. Keywords: Sand fly, distribution, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae