STUDY SANDFLY FAUNA AND ITS SEASONAL ACTIVITY

Abstract

In view of the finding of several cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis in some areas of Khuzestan southern Iran and the absence of information about its sandfly fauna,  this study was undertaken to elucidate the entomological and whenever possible, the epidemiological aspects of this disease in this province. In these studies more than 21,000 specimens were collected and identified we found eleven species of phlebotomus (P. papatasi, P. alexandri, P. sergenti, P. major, P. tobbi, P. keshishiani, P. langeroni, P. jacusieli, P. mongo­lensis, P. chinensis and P. salehi) and ten species of Sergentomyia (S. sintoni, S. dentata, S. theodori, S. atennata, S. tiberiadis, S. baghdadis, S. palestinen­sis, S. squamipleuris, S. iranica and S. mervynac).P. langeroni, which was found in the mountainous area of Izeh has recently been added to the list of Iranian sandflies. The activity season extends from March through late November, that is, three months longer than in the temperate areas of the central plateau of Iran. There are two peaks in the density curve of most species in this area, one in early June and the second in the late September.