DOI: 10.4103/apjtm.apjtm_219_26 ISSN: 1995-7645

Morphological and genomic characterization of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) with different taxonomic features from three districts in Sri Lanka and the report of a novel Sergentomyia species

Yasoda Kumari, Nayana Gunathilaka, Deepika Amarasinghe, D. G. I. C. Somaweera, T. N. Siriwardana, Nuwani Manamperi
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Objective:

To characterize morphologically distinct sand flies collected from three districts in Sri Lanka using integrated morphological and molecular approaches.

Methods:

Sand fly specimens received by the Department of Parasitology, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, between January and December 2024, were examined. Specimens with typical morphological traits were mounted for microscopic evaluation, and molecular confirmation was performed through DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (CO1) gene, followed by sequencing and BLAST analysis.

Results:

Of 58 sand flies analyzed, five known species were identified: Phlebotomus argentipes ( n =21; 36.2%), Sergentomyia (S.) zeylanica ( n =21; 36.2%), S. indica ( n =1; 1.7%), S. bailyi ( n =4; 6.9%), and S. babu insularis ( n =4; 6.9%). Two morphologically distinct species were also recorded. Molecular analysis confirmed the first report of Idiophlebotomus genus in Sri Lanka ( n =5, 8.6%). Additionally, a novel Sergentomyia species from the Anuradhapura district was identified and described herein as S. nayanasis sp. nov.

Conclusions:

This study provides the first evidence of 1diophlebotomus sp. in Sri Lanka and describes S. nayanasis sp. nov., expanding the known phlebotomine fauna of the island. These results highlight the need for continued surveillance, ecological assessments, and vector competence studies to evaluate the potential epidemiological significance of newly detected sand fly species in leishmaniasis-endemic regions.

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