Moth fly
The Psychodidae are small true flies (Diptera) with short, hairy bodies and wings giving them a "furry" moth-like appearance, hence their common name moth flies.
Description
Moth flies are classified as Nematocera and are small (<2 mm). The adults have long antennae and the wings are leaf-shaped, either slender or broad, with the most elementary wing venation of any Diptera, having little more than a series of parallel veins without crossveins. Adult Psychodidae are typically nocturnal, though they orient themselves around lights and may appear to be attracted to light.
Sand flies
The subfamily Phlebotominae includes many blood-feeding species; they are inhabitants of more arid regions and are often called sand flies outside the United States where sand flies are distantly related Nematocera of the Ceratopogonidae. This subfamily is sometimes treated as a separate family Phlebotomidae; the type genus is Phlebotomus. Phlebotominae are a very important group medically, transmitting various tropical diseases, but most importantly kala azar leishmaniasis. Phlebotomus species are also vectors for bartonellosis, verruga peruana, pappataci fever, an arbovirus caused by sandfly fever viruses such as Naples and Sicilian strains, which are members of the genus Phlebovirus (family Bunyaviridae), which also includes the closely related Toscana virus.[1][2]
In the New World, the genus implicated in the transmission of leishmaniasis is Lutzomyia. L. chagasi is responsible for the visceral form, while others like L. gomezi and L. longipalpis may be responsible for transmitting the cutaneous and mucocutaneous forms of this tropical disease.
The Sycoracinae, another subfamily, are also of hematophagous habits, being parasitic on frogs. The European species Sycorax silacea has been shown to transmit microfilarian worms.[3]
References
- ↑ Shope RE (1996). Bunyaviruses. In: Barron's Medical Microbiology (Barron S et al., eds.) (4th ed.). Univ of Texas Medical Branch. (via NCBI Bookshelf) ISBN 0-9631172-1-1.
- ↑ Valassina M, Cusi MG, Valensin PE (2003). "A Mediterranean arbovirus: the Toscana virus". J Neurovirol 9 (6): 577–83. doi:10.1080/13550280390247678. PMID 14602570.
- ↑ Desportes, C. 1941. Forcipomyia velox Winn et Sycorax silacea Curtis, vecteurs dIcosiella neglecta (Diesing, 1850) filaire commune de la grenouille verte. Annals de Parasitologie Humaine et Compareè, 19: 53–68.
Further reading
- Quate, L.W. 1955. A revision of the Psychodidae (Diptera) in America north of Mexico. University of California Publications in Entomology.
- Quate, L.W. & B.V. Brown. 2004. Revision of Neotropical Setomimini (Diptera: Psychodidae: Psychodinae). Contributions in Science, 500: 1–117.
- Vaillant, F. 1971. Psychodidae – Psychodinae. In: E. Lindner, ed. Die Fliegen der Palaearktischen Region, 9d, Lieferung 287: 1–48.
- Young, D.G. & P.V. Perkins. 1984. Phlebotomine sand flies of North America (Diptera: Psychodidae). Mosquito News, 44: 263–304.
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