Phlebotomine sandflies of Cyprus. III - Species inventory

Three surveys on canine leishmaniasis were carried out in Cyprus (1993, 199 8 and 1999) emphasise the presence of eleven species of phlebotomine sandfl ies Phlebotomus (Phlebotomus) papatasi, P. (Paraphlebotomus) alexandri, P, (Pa.) jacusieii (first mention in Cyprus), P, (Pa.) sergenti, P, (Larroussi us) galilaeus, P. ii.) tobbi, P. (Transphlebotomus) economidesi, P. (T.) ma scittii, Sergentomyia (Sergentomyia) azizi (its specific statute is validat ed by the authors), S. (S.) fallax et S, (S.) minuta. P. (Adlerius) kyrenia e was not caught during the surveys. The authors propose hypothesis of sett lement of the island by phlebotomine sandflies according this species inven tory. A first migration period took probably place during the Miocene time and a second one during the Pleistocene time.