Phlebotominae sand flies are natural hosts of various microorganisms including etiological agents of diseases of medical and veterinary importance such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa. Parasites of the genus Leishmania is widely spread around the world and are pathogenic to man, wild and domestic animals with a variety of species and, in most cases, a specific vectors. In the Neotropical region nearly 530 species of sand flies are known and this current review updates the information on the vectors of leishmaniases in the Americas.