Aspects of sandfly biology in southern Switzerland

Abstract

During three field surveys of phlebotomine sandflies in the region of Sessa, Minor Malcantone, southern Switzerland, annually 1987-89, Phlebotomus perniciosus and P. mascittii were caught regularly by means of light traps, but only when the traps were in close association with humans. The most productive catching sites were in the middle of Sessa village, in basements or partially closed shelters in the immediate vicinity of human dwellings. All catching sites outside the village were negative. The only other sandfly species caught was Sergentomyia minuta, four specimens only. P.perniciosus and P.mascittii always occurred together and were found to feed--at least occasionally--on human blood. Glucose and fructose were identified in wild-caught sandflies of both species. A breeding place of P. mascittii was identified in the basement of a house in the middle of Sessa. Analyses of soil samples revealed moderately loamy humus with a slightly acidic pH (5.6).

A molecular analysis of the subgenus Transphlebotomus Artemiev, 1984 (Phlebotomus, Diptera, Psychodidae) inferred from ND4 mtDNA with new northern records of Phlebotomus mascittii Grassi, 1908

“…Sandflies of the genus Transphlebotomus are rather scarce throughout their areas of distribution (Rioux and Golvan 1969;Ga´llego Berenguer et al 1992;Khoury et al 1992;Le´ger et al 2000b;Maroli et al 2002;Volf et al 2002;Sawalha et al 2003), except in some particular biotopes such as caves and tunnels (Toumanoff and Chassignet 1954;Le´ger et al 2000a), and in northern areas like Switzerland (Grimm et al 1993), the French Auvergne Pesson et al 1985) and Germany (T.J. Naucke, personal communication) where they seem to be relatively abundant, especially where related species of Phlebotomus are rare.…”

Phlebotomus (Transphlebotomus) mascittii Grassi, 1908, in Carinthia: first record of the occurrence of sandflies in Austria (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae)

“…However, previous field surveys gave evidence of its anthropophilic nature (Pesson et al 1985;Grimm et al 1993). P. mascittii is the only European sandfly species, which can be found in special ecological niches, such as tunnels, even during winter time (Naucke et al 2008a).…”

Winter activity of Phlebotomus (Transphlebotomus) mascittii, Grassi 1908 (Diptera: Psychodidae) on the island of Corsica

“…In 1912, P. mascittii was found in western Switzerland (Galli-Valerio 1912) and in 1931 in southern Switzerland (Vogel 1931). Further studies on P. mascittii in Switzerland were made by Knechtli and Jenni (1989) and Grimm et al (1993). In 1950, a blood-feeding female could be collected from a child in Strasbourg near by the German border (Callot 1950).…”

“…However, previous field surveys gave evidence of its anthropophilic nature (Grimm et al 1993;Pesson et al 1985). In Germany, P. mascittii was caught in several places situated close to the human dwellings (Schmitt 2002).…”