ABSTRACT
Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are the natural vectors of Leishmania spp. (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) and phleboviruses (Bunyavirales: Phenuiviridae). In Spain, these vectors appear to be increasing their geographical distribution and have serious repercussions on public and veterinary health, encouraging studies of sand flies and their associated pathogens. An up-to-date and easily accessible compendium of current and historical data on their presence and detailed distribution is a crucial step towards the development and implementation of appropriate preventive strategies. A checklist on the presence and distribution of sand flies in Spain is compiled from data extracted from a comprehensive review of scientific literature published between 1909 and 2021 and our new records on the presence of sand flies specimens collected under the entomological surveillance of bluetongue vectors from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fishery and Food (MAPA) during the period 2004-2021. In total, 13 Spanish species of sand flies (two of them with controversial status) belonging to two genera and six subgenera are presented in this updated checklist, including new distribution data for seven species, among which several stand out as confirmed or suspected vectors of Leishmaniainfantum: Phlebotomusariasi, Ph.langeroni, Ph.mascittii, and Ph.perniciosus.
ABSTRACT
An important element of vector control and surveillance of mosquito-borne diseases is updated information on vector species distribution. The aim of this study was to collect available information about mosquito species reported in Extremadura between 1920 and 2020 and create a catalog that would combine both published data and our recent field identifications. An exhaustive list is hereby presented, including species status and detailed distribution maps at a municipal level as well as their importance for public health. A total of 33 species, classified into five genera: Anopheles (five species), Aedes (14), Culex (nine), Culiseta (four), and Orthopodomyia (one) has been recorded, including 31 autochthonous, one invasive, Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus, and one disappeared since 1953, Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti. For the first time in Extremadura, we report the presence of important vectors such as Aedes (Aedimorphus) vexans vexans and Culex (Culex) perexiguus, and the new record of six species in the province of Badajoz, namely: Aedes (Dahliana) echinus, Aedes (Fredwardsius) vittatus, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) berlandi, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) pulcritarsis, Culex (Culex) mimeticus, and Culiseta (Culiseta) subochrea. Nineteen of these species are potential vectors of medical and veterinary relevance.
