Abstract
BackgroundPhlebotomine sand flies are the principal vectors of Leishmania spp. (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae). Information on sand flies in Central Europe is scarce and, to date, in Austria, only Phlebotomus mascittii has been recorded. In 2018 and 2019, entomological surveys were conducted in Austria with the aim to further clarify sand fly distribution and species composition.ResultsIn 2019, a Ph. simici specimen was trapped in Austria for the first time. Analyses of two commonly used marker genes, cytochrome c oxidase I (coxI) and cytochrome b (cytb), revealed high sequence identity with Ph. simici specimens from North Macedonia and Greece. Phylogenetic analyses showed high intraspecific distances within Ph. simici, thereby dividing this species into three lineages: one each from Europe, Turkey and Israel. Low interspecific distances between Ph. simici, Ph. brevis and an as yet unidentified Adlerius sp. from Turkey and Armenia highlight how challenging molecular identification within the Adlerius complex can be, even when standard marker genes are applied.ConclusionTo our knowledge, this study reports the first finding of Ph. simici in Austria, representing the northernmost recording of this species to date. Moreover, it reveals valuable insights into the phylogenetic relationships among species within the subgenus Adlerius. Phlebotomus simici is a suspected vector of L. infantum and therefore of medical and veterinary importance. Potential sand fly expansion in Central Europe due to climatic change and the increasing import of Leishmania-infected dogs from endemic areas support the need for further studies on sand fly distribution in Austria and Central Europe in general.Graphic abstract
Highlights
Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) are small hematophagous insects and vectors of the protozoan parasites Leishmania spp., the causativeKniha et al Parasites Vectors (2021) 14:20Ph. mascittii populations in four federal states of eastern Austria [5,6,7], and a singular specimen was trapped in western Slovakia in 2016 [8]
Sand flies in Central Europe are assumed to be remnants of post-glacial recolonization events from Mediterranean refugial areas that have survived in small, microclimatic areas [11]
Entomological survey Inspection of insects caught in the field revealed, as in previous studies, Phlebotomus mascittii, in very low numbers, and a single female specimen of Phlebotomus simici NITZULESCU, 1931, namely from Orth an der Donau (48.14462411 latitude, 16.69736534 longitude) in the night of 8–9 July at a local farm (Fig. 1)
Summary
Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) are small hematophagous insects and vectors of the protozoan parasites Leishmania spp., the causativeKniha et al Parasites Vectors (2021) 14:20Ph. mascittii populations in four federal states of eastern Austria [5,6,7], and a singular specimen was trapped in western Slovakia in 2016 [8]. Sand flies in Central Europe are assumed to be remnants of post-glacial recolonization events from Mediterranean refugial areas that have survived in small, microclimatic areas [11]. This hypothesis is further supported by a model of the potential distribution of Mediterranean sand fly species up to northern European countries, including the UK, during the Holocene optimum approximately 6000 years ago [11]. Phlebotomus mascittii, an unproven but suspected vector for Leishmania spp., has been assumed to be the only sand fly species in Austria; considering the absence of a geographic barrier between Hungary, Slovenia and eastern Austria, the possible occurrence of other species via prospective dispersal to Austria is likely. In 2018 and 2019, entomological surveys were conducted in Austria with the aim to further clarify sand fly distribution and species composition
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