SANDFLIES IN THE GREATER ATHENS REGION, GREECE

During the period from May to October 1992, a survey of phlebotomine s andflies was conducted in the Greater Athens region where cases of hum an and canine leishmaniasis occur. Using castor-oil paper traps, a tot al of 3015 sandflies were caught. Of the identified specimens, 1002 (3 4.1%) were Phlebotomus neglectus, 541 (18.4%) were P. papatasi, 182 (6 .2%) were P. fobbi, 50 1.7%) were P. simici, 30 (1.0%) were P. alexand ri, 13 (0.4%) were P. sergenti and 1122 (38.2%) were Sergentomyia minu ta. The seasonal activity of most Phlebotomus species was bimodal, whi le that of S. minuta was unimodal. The population density of sandflies varied significantly in different localities; it was low in most of t he stations and high in some stations in the outskirts. Among the pote ntial vectors of Leishmania spp., P. neglectus and P. papatasi were th e most widespread species. The former species showed high density in 1 2 of the 70 sampled stations, while the latter in only 4. Hence, the r isk of transmission of sandfly-borne diseases is still present in the Greater Athens region.