Sand Fly (Diptera: Psychodidae) Species Diversity, Habitat Preferences, and Ecological Aspects of Distribution in Bajaur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

The species composition, distribution, and bionomics of sand flies was investigated from January to December 2017 in four tehsils (20 villages) of district Bajaur (formally Bajaur agency), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. In total, 4,173 adult specimens comprising of seven species of Phlebotomus (Diptera: Psychodidae) and three species of Sergentomyia (Diptera: Psychodidae) were collected by oral aspirator, insecticide spray, and sticky traps from June to October. Highest numbers of flies were collected indoors in July and August when relative humidity and temperature were highest. Phlebotomus sergenti Parrot (Diptera: Psychodidae) was the most abundant species from all the collection sites, making approximately 70% of the total capture. Combined dwellings and chicken cages harbored the highest number of adult and immature flies (unrotated external genitalia). Abundance of P. sergenti had a significant (P ≤ 0.05) positive correlation with monthly average temperature, relative humidity, and average rainfall in indoor collections. On the other hand, P. papatasi Scopoli displayed similar correlation in the indoor and nighttime collections. Both the species were apparently abundant in the elevation range ≤ 419 m above sea level and on rangelands. Phlebotomus papatasi, however, also occurred on agricultural lands. The number of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) cases did not significantly correlate with the abundance of sand fly vectors across the villages surveyed. The results reported herein can serve as a baseline for an all-extensive future work in Bajaur. Our investigations will benefit the public health experts and medical entomologists for improved control and surveillance vectors of leishmaniasis.

Sand fly bionomics, geospatial investigation and risk factors associated with cutaneous leishmaniasis in district Mardan, Pakistan

“…• The outcomes of the study are vital to the effective and targeted control of CL in Mardan were identified by examining their external genitalia, which exhibit distinct characteristics of immaturity (Wahid et al, 2020). In the field, sand fly coordinate data were acquired using a global positioning system (GPS) device.…”

Characterization of sand fly breeding sites in district Malakand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, and evaluation of risk factors for cutaneous leishmaniasis in the region

“…Adult sand flies were collected on monthly and weekly basis. Monthly collections were made to define sand fly seasonal abundance (Khan, Llewellyn, et al, 2017) in the region, while weekly collections were performed to detect potential breeding sites (Wahid et al, 2020). Monthly collections were carried out in six indoor sites (including buffalo shed, cow shed, goat shed, sheep shed, cattle shed, and domestic household) from June to September 2019.…”

“…Immature male sand flies were identified on the basis of their unrotated external genitalia (Khan, Llewellyn, et al, 2017;Moncaz et al, 2012b;Wahid et al, 2020).…”

Breeding biology and nidology of Oriental skylark (Alauda gulgula) in district Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

“…The study was conducted on the farmland and rainfed croplands in district Bajaur (34⁰44.161 N, 71⁰31.631 E), 850-1100 m elevation above mean sea level, covering an area of 1290 km 2 [17][18][19] (Fig. 1).…”