Attachment of leishmania major and leishmania infantum in the midgut of their respective sand fly vectors phlebotomus papatasi and phlebotomus langeroni [diptera: psychodidae]

The attachment of Leishmania infantum and Leishmania major in the midgut of experimentally infected Phlebotomus langeroni and Ph-lebotonius papatasi was examined by transmission electron microscopy. Cellular damage in the midgut of infected flies as a byproduct of infection was observed in both species. A difference in the mode of attachment of flagella to the midgut of their respective sand fly vectors suggested higher adaptation between L. major/P. papatasi compared to L. infantum/P. langeroni