Vector potential of Phlebotomus duboscqi and P-papatasi: a comparison of feeding behaviour, reproductive capacity and experimental infection with Leishmania major

Phlebolomus duboscqi and P. papatasi are the incriminated vectors of Leishm ania major, the causative agent of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) i n various parts of the world. Factors contributing to the vector potential of these two species were investigated in the laboratory. It was found that 90.1% of the P. duboscqi females tested completed feeding in 1 h and they could complete up to eight gonotrophic cycles in their maximum adult life-s pan in the laboratory of almost 2 months. In contrast, only 70.3% of the fe male P. papatasi took bloodmeals within 1 h and they could only complete a maximum of four gonotrophic cycles in the maximum adult life-span of lust 1 month. Biting habit (proportion feeding/day of the gonotrophic cycle), sur vival (proportion surviving first oviposition), gonotrophic discordance (pr oportion refeeding on blood before first oviposition) and experimental infe ction (proportion of flies offered a bloodmeal containing L. major which be came infected) were all higher for P. duboscqi (0.18, 0.91, 0.50 and 0.65, respectively) than for P. papatasi (0.14, 0.71, 0.12 and 0.56, respectively ). It therefore seems likely that P. duboscqi is a much more effective vect or of L. major than P. papatasi in several endemic foci of ZCL.