Lutzomyia anthophora

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Lutzomyia anthophora
Scientific classification
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L. anthophora
Binomial name
Lutzomyia anthophora
(Addis, 1945)

Lutzomia anthrophora is a species of what is commonly known as the sandfly in the order Diptera and it is a common vector for Leishmania mexicana .

Contents

Life cycle

Lutzomyia anthophora are holometabolous insects. They begin their life cycle as a dark elliptical egg. These eggs are generally laid in habitats such as rock crevices and trees. The eggs will hatch within twenty four hours and all eggs will hatch within the same time frame. The eggs then become larvae. These larvae will then feed on organic matter. The larvae will then progress through four larval instars before pupating. The Anthophora will pupate in dry climates. The males will generally mature faster than the females. Twenty four hours after eclosion, the male is able to fertilize a female while the female is able to copulate a couple hours after eclosion. Courtship involves rapid beating of the wings and release of the hormone. Copulation is not dependent on the nutrition of the fly and it lasts between two and five minutes. The female will then take a blood meal and lay her eggs.

Nutrition

Lutzomyia anthophora feed on both carbohydrates and blood. Females that feed on carbohydrates fare better reproductively than those that do not. After feeding on these sugar solutions L. anthophora will wait twenty four hours before feeding again. Females will then feed on blood two to four days post eclosion. The main hosts for blood meals are small mammals such as wood-rats, white footed mice, rabbits, squirrel, and opossum. They also will feed on chickens if available. They tend to feed on the hairless regions of the ears.

Morphology

Lutzomyia anthophora is identified by a few morphological characteristics. The most obvious is that the thorax is divided into three sections, the prothorax, the mesothorax, and the metathorax. Also, there are distinctive spines on their hind femoras. The posterior end of their cibarium contains two horizontal teeth and they have episternal setae. They also have one subterminal and one basal setae. The male and female are then differentiated by their own morphological characteristics. Males have parmere's with short strongly clubbed dorsal arms. The females have individual sperm ducts at least as long as the spermetheca. For more information follow the link to the dichotomous key. [1]

Habitat

Lutzomyia anthophora are found in Mexico and in the U.S. [1] They tend to feed on small mammals and therefore can be found in these mammals' nests. Also, they tend to develop faster at higher temperatures.

Importance

Lutzomyia anthophora bites are painful and can cause an allergic reaction. This also allows for the possibility of a secondary infection. Some studies have suggested they may be a vector of the bacteria Bartonella baciliformis . They are a known vector of Leishmania mexicana , which causes both cutaneous and diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis. [2]

Related Research Articles

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Leishmaniasis is a wide array of clinical manifestations caused by parasites of the Trypanosomatida genus Leishmania. It is generally spread through the bite of phlebotomine sandflies, Phlebotomus and Lutzomyia, and occurs most frequently in the tropics and sub-tropics of Africa, Asia, the Americas, and southern Europe. The disease can present in three main ways: cutaneous, mucocutaneous, or visceral. The cutaneous form presents with skin ulcers, while the mucocutaneous form presents with ulcers of the skin, mouth, and nose. The visceral form starts with skin ulcers and later presents with fever, low red blood cell count, and enlarged spleen and liver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandfly</span> Name of several types of blood-sucking fly

Sandfly or sand fly is a colloquial name for any species or genus of flying, biting, blood-sucking dipteran (fly) encountered in sandy areas. In the United States, sandfly may refer to certain horse flies that are also known as "greenheads", or to members of the family Ceratopogonidae. The bites usually result in a small, intensely itchy bump or welt, the strength of which intensifies over a period of 5-7 days before dissipating. Moderate relief is achieved with varying success through the application of over the counter products such as Benadryl (ingested) or an analgesic cream such as After Bite. Outside the United States, sandfly may refer to members of the subfamily Phlebotominae within the Psychodidae. Biting midges (Ceratopogonidae) are sometimes called sandflies or no-see-ums. New Zealand sandflies are in the genus of sand fly Austrosimulium, a type of black fly.

<i>Leptoconops torrens</i> Species of fly

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<i>Lutzomyia</i> Genus of flies

Lutzomyia is a genus of phlebotomine sand flies consisting of nearly 400 species, at least 33 of which have medical importance as vectors of human disease. Species of the genus Lutzomyia are found only in the New World, distributed in southern areas of the Nearctic and throughout the Neotropical realm. Lutzomyia is one of the two genera of the subfamily Phlebotominae to transmit the Leishmania parasite, with the other being Phlebotomus, found only in the Old World. Lutzomyia sand flies also serve as vectors for the bacterial Carrion's disease and a number of arboviruses.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cutaneous leishmaniasis</span> Medical condition

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is the most common form of leishmaniasis affecting humans. It is a skin infection caused by a single-celled parasite that is transmitted by the bite of a phlebotomine sand fly. There are about thirty species of Leishmania that may cause cutaneous leishmaniasis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psychodidae</span> Family of flies

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<i>Leishmania major</i> Species of parasitic protist

Leishmania major is a species of parasite found in the genus Leishmania, and is associated with the disease zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis. L. major is an intracellular pathogen which infects the macrophages and dendritic cells of the immune system. Though Leishmania species are found on every continent aside from Antarctica, Leishmania major is found only in the Eastern Hemisphere, specifically in Northern Africa, the Middle East, Northwestern China, and Northwestern India.

<i>Phormia regina</i> Species of fly

Phormia regina, the black blow fly, belongs to the blow fly family Calliphoridae and was first described by Johann Wilhelm Meigen.

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Lutzomyia shannoni is a species of fly in the subfamily Phlebotominae, the phlebotomine sand flies. It is native to the Americas from the southeastern United States to northern Argentina. It has a disjunct distribution, and is only found in regions with suitable climates, habitat types, and host animals. It is well known as a vector of the vesicular stomatitis virus, which causes the disease vesicular stomatitis in animals, particularly livestock.

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<i>Bezzia nobilis</i> Species of fly

Bezzia nobilis is a species of biting midges in the family Ceratopogonidae. It is widely considered one of the most common Bezzia species; it is found in Eurasian regions, all over the United States, Central America, and even into South American countries like Brazil. B. nobilis seem to prefer aquatic environments; they are commonly observed in stagnant water pools in Eurasia regions and marshes in the southern United States. Adults of this species are easily distinguished by their black and yellow striped legs. Pupae are recognized by their brown bodies, abdominal spines, and respiratory horns. B. nobilis larvae are distinguished by brown heads and white bodies. Little information is known on their life cycle or mating habits. B. nobilis is a predatory species. While some research suggests they mainly feed on larvae of other insect species, experiments suggest they prefer immobile, easy prey such as dead adult flies, bacteria, and protozoa.

<i>Opifex fuscus</i> Species of insect

Opifex fuscus, known commonly as the saltpool mosquito or by its Māori name naeroa, is an endemic mosquito that is widespread along the coast of New Zealand.

<i>Aedes taeniorhynchus</i> Species of fly

Aedes taeniorhynchus, or the black salt marsh mosquito, is a mosquito in the family Culicidae. It is a carrier for encephalitic viruses including Venezuelan equine encephalitis and can transmit Dirofilaria immitis. It resides in the Americas and is known to bite mammals, reptiles, and birds. Like other mosquitoes, Ae. taeniorhynchus adults survive on a combination diet of blood and sugar, with females generally requiring a blood meal before laying eggs.

<i>Lutzomyia longipalpis</i> Species of fly

Lutzomyia longipalpis is a species complex of sandfly belonging to the family Psychodidae. This species is primarily present in Central and South America, but has also appeared in Mexico. There have been reports of L. longipalpis as far south as Argentina, as they are found in a wide variety of ecological conditions. Both males and females feed on sugars from plants and aphids, but only adult females feed on the blood of other mammals. The species has recently begun appearing in urban areas throughout Brazil, and serves as a key vessel for the propagation of the parasite Leishmania infantum. The presence of these flies appears to be strongly correlated to the presence of domestic chickens in Latin America. The first major urban outbreak of the lethal Visceral leishmanias epidemic was detected in Teresina, Piauí State in the early 1980s following a massive planting of acacias.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Cristina Ferro</span> Colombian microbiologist

Maria Cristina Ferro de Carrasquilla (1947–2015) was a Colombian microbiologist and Leishmaniasis researcher who worked for more than forty years at the National Health Institute of Colombia. Most of her research was focused on sandflies, which are Leishmaniasis vectors, contributing with the description of three new species: Lutzomyia torvida, Lutzomyia falcata, and Lutzomyia tolimensis. Given her research contributions, a sandfly species was named after her: Lutzomyia ferroae. Ferro also worked with Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus and received the Emeritus Researcher award from the National Health Institute of Colombia in 2007

María Dora Feliciangeli was Professor of Medical Entomology at the University of Carabobo, Venezuela, who worked on the transmission of tropical parasites especially American trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis. She was Coordinator of the National Reference Center of Sandflies and the Medical Entomology Section.

<i>Phlebotomus papatasi</i>

Phlebotomus papatasi is a species of insects commonly known as sandflies. Due to their ectothermic climate limitations, P. papatasi are confined to regions with temperatures above sixty degrees Fahrenheit for at least three months of the year, spanning over much of the European Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Around one thousand sandfly species have been described, belonging to the subfamily Phlebotominae within the family Psychodidae. The Psychodidae family belongs to the order Diptera within the class Insecta of the subphylum Hexapoda of the Arthropod phylum.

References

  1. 1 2 "Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute : Number 54" (PDF). Apps.dtic.mil. Retrieved 5 June 2022. GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF LUTZOMYIA SAND FLIES IN MEXICO, THE WEST INDIES, CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA (DIPTERA: PSYCHODIDAE)
  2. David Dugdale (August 2011). "Leishmaniasis: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia". Nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 23 March 2022.

Sources