Synonyms
Phlebotominae
Classification
Family of Insects.
General Information
Fossil phlebotomines are about 120 million years old. Of the about 700 phlebotomine sand fly species, only about 70 are anthropophagous, mainly belonging to the two genera, Lutzomyia (New World) and Phlebotomus (Old World). Only female flies suck blood, but also – like males – they suck plant sugars, e.g., aphid honeydew, nectaries, or fruits. Phlebotomines transmit viral and bacterial diseases but are mainly known as vectors of Leishmania .
Phlebotomines are holometabolous insects’ larvae developing in the soil. Adults are small, hairy Diptera, holding their pointed wings erect in a characteristic manner above their bodies – like a vertical V.
Distribution
Phlebotomines are found mainly in the tropics and subtropics, but some species also occur in temperate regions. There are no phlebotomines on the Pacific islands and in New Zealand. The habitats vary strongly, e.g., dry hot deserts and tropical rain forests...
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this entry
Cite this entry
Mehlhorn, H. (2016). Sand Flies. In: Mehlhorn, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Parasitology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-43978-4_2787
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-43978-4_2787
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-662-43977-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-43978-4
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences