Species composition, Ecology, Seasonal abundance and Vectorial importance of the sub-family Phlebotominae (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Diteta Village, Konso Woreda of Southern Ethiopia
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Date
2013-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
A survey aimed to study species composition, seasonal abundance and infection rate of
phlebotomine sandfly species were carried out in a village called Diteta, where new cases of
visceral leishmaniasis (VL) have been recently observed by researchers and health
centers/hospitals in the region. Sandfly densities monitored for six months (January-June, 2012)
using CDC light traps and sticky paper traps yielded a total of 8091 sandflies belong to two genera:
genus Phlebotomus (n=118) and genus Sergentomyia (n=7873). Three Phlebotomus species
representing two subgenera; Anaphlebotomus (P. rodhaini) and Synphlebotomus (P. martini and P.
celiae) together with ten Sergentomyia species in three subgenera were identified.
Among Phlebotomus species, P. (An.) rodhaini and P. (Sy.) martini were shown similar abundance
with a slight dominance of the former species and P. celiae were the least. Five Sergentomyia
species: S. (Sergentomyia.) schewtzi, S. (Se.) bedfordi, and S. (Sintonius) suberecta, S.
(Parratomyia.) africana and S. (Se.) antennata were the most common species. A relative increase
in population of the three Phlebotomus species were observed during the wet season (March-May)
of the year. Fluctuations in sandfly densities were seen in four most common Sergentomyia species
during the six month period with highest densities during the dry months (January-February and
June) whereas S. suberecta had its peak in wet month (May).
A marked habitat preference was observed in all Phlebotomus species collected by both traps. The
termite mounds were found to be most preferable habitat for all Phlebotomus as well as for most
Sergentomyia species. However, the observation of low densities of all three Phlebotomus during
the study period does not seem to explain adequately the occurrence of( VL) in the area. More
detailed epidemiological and entomological studies are thus required to reveal the real (VL )situation
in the area.
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Keywords
Species composition, Ecology, Seasonal abundance and Vectorial importance