JUNE 1993 PHLEBoroMrNn Slro FLrEs FRoM THAILAND ANTHROPOPHILIC AND ZOOPHILIC PHLEBOTOMINE SAND FLIES (DIPTERA, PSYCHODIDAE)FROM THAILAND C. APIWATHNASORN, S. SUCHARIT, K. SURATHIN nnp T. DEESIN Department of Med.ical Entomology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahi.d,ol Uniuersity, Banghok, Thniland ABSTRACT. As a.result of extensive surveys of sand flies carried out during 1987-90 in Thailand, speciesincluding a man-biter, Phlebotomushoepplii, and cattle-biters, P. argentipesand P. major major, were discovered in Kanchanaburi Province. The human-baited catches revealed a low density of P. hoepplii and the biting occurred during 2100-2300hours. Phbbotornus hoepplii was also found feeding on buffalo and inhabiting Pha-Thai Cave,Lampang Province. Phlcbotomusargentipes was also a common cave-dwellerand therefore had a wider distribution than P. major major, which was only collected in Sara Buri and Kanchanaburi provinces. The 3 speciesinhabited forest environments close to foothills and on stream banks. Although there is yet no evidence that they are involved in leishmaniasis transmission, the bionomics of the speciesare of importance and should be studied further. INTRODUCTION by aspirators,from mammalian hostsby human- and cattle-baited traps, as well as by light traps During the previous 3 decades,knowledge of and sticky traps according to their habits. The sand flies of Thailand was very limited, as they collections were carried out from dusk to dawn, primarily were considered zoophilic and of little except for the collection of daytime resting importance in leishmaniasis transmission. adults. All collected sand flies were preservedin (1934) Raynal and Gaschen appearto have been 80% alcohol.They were clearedin a 30% solu- the first to describe Thai sand flies. In later tion of chloral hydrate in glacial acetic acid for years, the sporadic collection of sand flies by 5 min and then mounted on slides in Hoyer's some workers resulted in a list of 9 species medium. Identification was basedmainly on the (Causey 1938, Theodor 1938, Quate 1962). The keys and speciesdescriptions provided by Lewis study of sand flies receiveda sudden impetus in (1978,1982). Some specimens were sent for de- 1987following reports of imported casesof leish- posit in the Natural History Museum (London). maniasis among Thai laborers returning home from Middle Eastern countries (Charoenlarp 1986).Tanpraseftsuk et al. (1987)conducted a RESULTS AND DISCUSSION serological and environmental survey of kala- Most sand flies, in terms of quantity and azar in a village of Lampang Province where 124 number of species, were obtained from CDC people had experienceworking in Middle East- light traps. Nevertheless,attempts to search for ern countries. They found that 4.76% of the mammalophilic specieswere successful.An un- people were serologically positive for Leish- common man-biter, P. hoepplii Tang and Maa, mania donovani. At the same time, sand fly and cattle-biters, P. argentr.pesAnnandale and surveyswere conductedthroughout the country Brunetti and P. major major Annandale, were to determine their distribution and potential as found to be limited to some locations. The col- vectors.Fifteen species,including the cow-biter, lection data are summarizedin Table 1 and the Phlebotornusmajor major Annandale, were re- details ofthe speciesare given below. ported in the first survey in the northeastern Anthropophilic species:P. hoepplii: The spe- part of Thailand (Apiwathnasorn et al. 1989). cies was first found biting humans during 2100- During 1989-90,the secondsurvey conductedin 2300 h at Nam Jon Dam site, a remote area in the central and northern part of the country Kanchanaburi Province, in western Thailand. raised the number of species to 19, including The sand flies were captured indoors in small both an anthropophilic and zoophilic species numbers (3 per person per night). Apart from that have not been reported previously in South- human-baitcd catches,less than 10 per night per east Asia. This paper presents the distribution trap of this species were also collected from and brief ecological information of the anthro- buffalo-baited traps and light traps in Amphoe pophilic and zoophilic species, which will be Sri Sawat. Kanchanaburi Province and Pha useful for investigating the risk of leishmaniasis Thai Cave, Lampang Province (northern part). transmission in Thailand. The collections revealedthat they could live in forest, cave and peridomestic environments. Al- MATERIALS AND METHODS though the specimenswere obtained from dif- ferent parts of the country, the collection.sites To collect as many speciesas possible, sand were all located close to large streams in the flies were captured from diurnal resting places forest. In addition, as the aampling oce.urredin 136 Jounrrur,oF THEArrrnnrclN Moseurto CoNrnor,Assocre'rroN VoL. I, No. 2 Table 1. Collection data for Phlcbotomus hnepplii, P. argentipes and P. major major in Thailand Collection Species Date Bait No./night Localities P. hoepplii Oct. 22, 1988 Human rl Nam Jon Dam site, Kanchanaburi Mar. 10, 1989 Buffalo o Amphoe Sri Sawat, Kanchanaburi Jul. 8, 1989 Light trap 7 Pha Thai Cave, Lampang P. argentipes Sept.8, 1988 Buffalo 10 Khun Krathing, Chumphon Mar. 10, 1988 Buffalo 10 Ban Tha Lamyai, Kanchanaburi (commonin cavesthroughout Thailand) P. major major Mar. 18, 1986 Cow 20 Saraburi May 17, 1986 Cow 20 Pu Toei, Kanchan- aburi different seasons(Table 1), this speciesis pos- pale instead of dark brown and the spermathe- sibly active throughout the year. The data were cae are obviously longer with more annulations similar to Tang and Maa (1945) who found P. (>30). This species is known to show some hnepplii to be active from April to October and geographicalvariation (Lewis 1957).It was sug- attracted to human bait in houses. gested by Bray in 1974 (Lewis 1978) that P. Zoophilic species:Two specieswere found to argentipesmay be a speciescomplex, including feed on cattle, P. argentipes and P. major major. a zoophilic and an anthropophilic species,in one Although they were zoophilic, the feeding habits area. might change when the preferred hosts are ab- Although it is abundant and widely distrib- sent or scarce. uted, particularly in cavesthroughout the coun- Phbbotornus argentipes:This speciesis a well try, the speciesis unlikely to create problems known vector of kala-azar in India. It is the related to leishmaniasis transmission owing to most common cave-dweller and widely distrib- its biting habits. Nevertheless, its bionomics uted in Thailand (Apiwathnasorn et al. 1989). should not be ignored. Phlebotomusargentipes tended to be more peri- Phlebotornusmajor major: The nominate form domestic than forested species,as its common of P. major is a proven vector of visceral leish- habitats were mostly located in temples in the maniasis in the Mediterranean area (Lewis rural areas. The localities where P. argentipes 1974). Specimens were collected at dusk with was found to feed on buffalo were Khun Kra- cow-baited traps at Wat Tham Photisat, Sara thing, Chumphon Province (southern part) and Buri Province and also at Pu Toei, Kanchana- Ban Tha Lamyai, Kanchanaburi Province. Ten buri Province. Both collection sites were very per night were captured on buffalo, in contrast humid and located at foothills. The speciesis to the hundreds easily collectedby Iight traps in also thought to occur along the Himalayan caves, where the species is believed to feed foothills between 1,555 and 2,135 m (Sinton mainly on bats. Daytime resting places were 1932). Approximately 20 adults of both sexes cavesand tree holes around the cattle sheds.It were captured per night. has been also reported by Lewis and Wharton Although P. major major has similar biting (1963) in West Malaysia that P. argentipes fed habits to P. argentipes, it has a more limited on cows but had rarely been found biting man. distribution. No specimensof this specieswere Lewis (1978) summarizedaspects of this species found in caves,where P. argentipeswasthe most and reported variation that was partly associ- common. Further study is also neededto deter- ated with differencesin feeding habits. In India mine its bionomics and geographicdistribution. and Sri Lanka, P. argentipesis anthropophilic; In conclusion, P. hoepplii and,P. major major elsewhereit appearsto be a woodland zoophilic are reported for the first time in the Southeast and exophilic species. Asian region as mammalophilic speciesof phle- Some structural characters of the specimens botomine sand flies. Although the study revealed collected in caves differed from the speciesde- low densities of the species,it still needsto be scription given by Lewis (1978). The scutum is determined whether establishment of imported JuNn 1993 PHLEBoT0MTNESAND Fr,rns rnou TneIr,er.to r37 leishmaniasisin Thailand is possible or not. In Lewis, D. J. 195?.Some sandflies of Malaya. Proc. R. addition, experiencesin western China, despite Entomol. Soc.Lond. (B) 26:165-171. Iow densities of vectors, show that transmission Lewis, D. J. t974. The biology of Phlebotomidae in Entomol. does still occur (Guan and Shen 1991). The relation to leishmaniasis. Annu. Rev. ecological information obtained during these 19:363-384. Lewis, D. J. 1978. The phlebotomine sandflies (Dip- brief surveys is not adequatefor predictions of tera: Psychodidae)ofthe Oriental Region. Bull. Br' value. Nevertheless,it is an initial epidemiologic Mus. Nat. Hist. (Entomol.) 37:217-343. known species step for in-depth studies ofthese Lewis, D. J. 1982. A taxonomic review of the genus to understand the extent of their geographic Phlebotomus(Diptera: Psychodidae).Bull. Br. Mus. ranges,bionomics and vector potential. Nat. Hist. (Entomol.) 45:l2L-209. Lewis, D. J. and R. H. Wharton. 1963.Some Malayan ACKNOWLEDGMENTS sandflies.Proc. R. Entomol. Soc. Lond. (B) 32:117- 124. The authors sincerely thank Ronald Rosen- Quate, L. W. 1962.A review of the IndochinesePhle- berg, Department of Medical Entomology (U.S. botominae. Pacif. Insects 4:25I-267. Army Component), Armed Forces ResearchIn- Raynal,J. and H. Gaschen.1934. Sur la presencede stitute of Medical Sciences (AFRIMS) for re- phlebotomesdans Ie nord de I'Indochine.