Sand flies are small insects in Order Diptera, Suborder Nematocera, Family Psychodidae, and Subfamily Phlebotominae. They prefer to live in tropical, subtropics, and warm mainland regions. The sandfly’s life cycle begins with eggs, larvae, pupa, and adults. The general characteristics of the adult sand fly are small hairy flies. It has large dark eyes, long slender legs (stilts-like), and long antennae with 16 segments. We can see that when the sandfly rests, They have a vertical “V” shape over their back. They have sucking mouthparts to pierce the skin and take the blood meal of mammals, reptiles, and birds(only females). Sandfly is known as the main vector of Leishmaniasis(Leishmania spp.). They can transmit the pathogen while feeding on a blood meal. The sandfly feeds on the blood of an infected human host, carrying the pathogen which develops inside the sandfly body and becomes infected sandflies that contain the infection stage of the pathogen. The infected sandfly then feeds on the blood of the new human host and transmits the pathogen into the new human host. This brings bad luck to hosts who are bitten by infected sandflies and eventually become infected.

VANUTSARIN KHONGSRISAK ID:6536456