Abstract
Sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) are blood-feeding insects that transmit the protozoan parasites Leishmania spp. and various arthropod-borne (arbo) viruses. While in Mediterranean parts of Europe the sand fly fauna is diverse, in Central European countries including Austria mainly Phlebotomus mascittii is found, an assumed but unproven vector of Leishmania infantum. To update the currently understudied sand fly distribution in Austria, a sand fly survey was performed and other entomological catches were screened for sand flies. Seven new trapping locations of Ph. mascittii are reported including the first record in Vienna, representing also one of the first findings of this species in a city. Morphological identification, supported by fluorescence microscopy, was confirmed by two molecular approaches, including sequencing and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) protein profiling. Sand fly occurrence and activity were evaluated based on surveyed locations, habitat requirements and climatic parameters. Moreover, a first comparison of European Ph. mascittii populations was made by two marker genes, cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI), and cytochrome b (cytb), as well as MALDI-TOF mass spectra. Our study provides new important records of Ph. mascittii in Austria and valuable data for prospective entomological surveys. MALDI-TOF MS protein profiling was shown to be a reliable tool for differentiation between sand fly species. Rising temperatures and globalization demand for regular entomological surveys to monitor changes in species distribution and composition. This is also important with respect to the possible vector competence of Ph. mascittii.
Highlights
Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) occur in tropical, subtropical, as well as temperate regions
This study reports new findings of Phlebotomus mascittii in Austria, including the first record of this species in the capital Vienna, representing the northernmost record in Austria
Ph. mascittii was found at seven new locations within four surveys, suggesting that its distribution in Austria may be wider than previously thought
Summary
Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) occur in tropical, subtropical, as well as temperate regions. They are of significant medical importance as vectors of Leishmania spp., bacteria and several arthropod-borne (arbo) viruses in various regions of both Old and New World. In Europe, sand flies are endemic throughout most of the Mediterranean countries while their occurrence north of the Alps and in Central Europe was overlooked for a long time. Phlebotomus simici Nitzulescu, 1931, was recorded for the first time in Austria [9]. Apart from these findings, knowledge on sand fly distribution, species diversity and ecological factors determining their occurrence in Central Europe is scarce
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