Establishment and mass breeding of Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Pshychodidae) in Orzouieh county in Kerman Province, Southeast of Iran

Abstract

Background & objectives: Sandflies are important carriers of Leishmania parasites. Leishmaniasis, spread by sandfly vectors, is a major public health problem worldwide particularly in the tropics and the subtropics. The parasite transmission capacity of vectors, life cycle of parasites in the body of vectors, disease transmission, and the physiology and behavior of carrier vectors can be extensively studied by establishing insect colonies in the insectarium. In addition, response of vectors to repellents and insecticides, mating behaviors, blood feeding habits, interaction between parasites, and vectors, and taxonomic studies can be investigated by establishing insect colonies. The goal of the present study was to establish a colony of Phlebotomus papatasi in the insectarium in a zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis endemic area in Kerman Province of Iran. Methods: The Killick-Kendrick and Killick-Kendrick method (1991) was used for individual rearing and the volf and volfa (2011) method was used for mass rearing of the collected sandflies. The larvae were fed by a diet with liver powder, which is the recommended diet for Phlebotomus papatasi larvae. Adult sandflies were allowed to feed on BALB/c mice blood in the laboratory. Results: Eighty sandflies specimens (75 female + 5 male) were collected with aspirator and reared for f1 and f2 generations in the laboratory. Interpretation & conclusion: Phlebotomus sandflies were colonized in laboratory condition. Then sandflies successfully maintained for the first time as a laboratory species in Kerman Province.