MITOCHONDRIAL HAPLOTYPES AND PHYLOGEOGRAPHY OF PHLEBOTOMUS VECTORS OFLEISHMANIA-MAJOR

Haplotypes of eight phlebotomine species were characterized by cycle s equencing a mitochondrial (mt) DNA fragment (cytochrome b to NADH1) am plified from single sandflies by PCR. Phlebotomus (Phlebotomus) papata si displayed little variation throughout its large geographical range. We conclude that this vector of Leishmania major suffered a populatio n bottleneck late in the Pleistocene and then radiated out from the ea stern Mediterranean subregion. There was no support for a recent domes tic lineage of P. papatasi. The mtDNA molecular clock in phlebotomines (subgenera Phlebotomus and Larroussius) was calibrated by reference t o palaeogeographical events in Africa and the Mediterranean subregion. It fitted a pairwise nucleotide sequence divergence rate of 1.0-2.5% per million years. Go-evolution of L. major, its Phlebotomus vectors a nd mammalian reservoirs is discussed.