Journal of Medical Entomology (2013) 50, 758-763

R. Srinivasan, P. Jambulingam and P. Vanamail (2013)
Sand fly (Diptera: Psychodidae) abundance and species diversity in relation to environmental factors in parts of coastal plains of southern India
Journal of Medical Entomology 50 (4), 758-763
Abstract: Abundance pattern of sand flies in relation to several environmental factors, such as type of areas, dwellings, landforms, land usage pattern, and surface soil pH, was assessed in 81 areas or villages of Puducherry district, Puducherry Union Territory, located on the coastal plain of southern India, for three seasons, between November 2006 and October 2008, adopting hand-catch method. In total, 1,319 sand fly specimens comprising 12 species under two genera, viz., Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia, were collected. Among them, Phlebotomus (Euphlebotomus) argentipes Annandale and Brunetti, the vector of visceral leishmaniasis in India, was the predominant species in all habitats surveyed. The hierarchical cluster analysis showed that the density of sand flies was 10-fold higher in high-density group and fivefold higher in medium-density group, compared with the no or low-density group. Sand fly density was found to be influenced significantly with the type of areas, dwellings, landforms, land usage pattern, and surface soil pH in different groups. Rural areas located on fluvial landform with alkaline surface soil pH, supporting rice cultivation and luxuriant vegetation, are the most influencing factors that favor sand fly abundance and diversity in this district.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
surveys/sampling/distribution

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Phlebotomus major		India
	Phlebotomus argentipes		India
	Sergentomyia babu		India
	Sergentomyia bailyi		India
	Sergentomyia clydei		India
	Sergentomyia insularis		India
	Sergentomyia indica		India
	Sergentomyia vadhanurensis		India