POPULATION-DYNAMICS OF SANDFLIES (DIPTERA -PSYCHODIDAE) FROM SENEGAL (MONT-ROLLAND DISTRICT)

Phlebotomine sandflies were captured on a monthly basis from May 1995 to April 1996 in the Mont-Rolland district in Western Senegal. The obj ectives were to study the population dymanics of sandflies and to make on inventory of the Viruses they transmit. Among 10,315 specimens cap tured, belonging to 14 species, Sergentomyia dubia (35.9%), S. schwetz i (27.7%) and S. buxtoni (24.5%) were the most abundant. Species from the genus Sergentomyia accounted Tor 99.6% versus 0.4% for the genus P hlebotomus. The sandflies population was observed to peak in February, The most populated resting sites of the captured insects were in decr easing order tree-holes, termite-hills and burrows. S, dubia was the m ost abundant species captured in tree-holes. It was S. buxtoni in term ite-hills, while S. schwetzi was found to dwell most often in burrows. No virus was isolated from 2,114 specimens tested.