Abstract:
Sri Lanka has been knc,wn for leishmaniasis and sandflies for a long time. The diversity of
sandflies and their vectorial capacity have not been fuily documented in the country. A sun ey
was carried out in 8 districts whieh have recordings for sandflies andzor leishmanrasis. Trvc
species from the genus Phiebotomus and i4 species ftom the genus Sergentomyia were identified
basecl. on morphology. Ten of thern were reporied fcr rhe first time from the counl;v.
Phlebatomus (Euphlebotomus) argefiipes was the predcminant snecies. Ph. (Eup.) argentipes
was proposed as a species cornpiex with morphologically simiier 3 sibling specics. Mciecular
data with 18S, 28S ri)NA, ITS2 (nuclear markers) and cytochroine oxidase subuuit I (COl and
cytoctrrome b oxidase {.c1,tb) (mitochontlnai markers) ievealed thc presence or" 1.,!o mcieculat
trrpes and possibiy two sibiing species. The sibiin,e species (named as A, whicir was previcusi;- not reported to feer{ on humans was faund to be antiro*aphagic and carrrv' L,eishrntania liriA a.s well. l-he disfribu';irr.,t,attern of l\r siiilin-o-:;-*,:.-,-'. j)v(r a','ear tend to ,rry ,vith peaks it d{" months.'Ii:0 I11*,':'- ,,fluential enviromlental pararnettL atl'ecti;rg the ciistribulto,i cf ;i.' jfi:es ishuir:,idit-v. ;,'heir er:cioohag.c behavic'i:.r r.vas aiso ie';ealed. Fhyiogeny of tiie sanofl,ies basei ,,'rii.8S, 28S il.boson:al i]ldA (D3) :nd c3tci:hri:iue oxr;iase s:ibunit i (CS4 3nd ilr;,egliu.i1,r Lroxidase (cllb) sequence data was created and ttre morrcphfly i;f the orjentai sanCfi,r' Esridre \rr'?.s challenged. The pclSpiiiy/paraphyiy of tlie two ma3,--ir genera .,r'as recc'dered itora the futa. Thr
proposed co-evolutic,n paftern of the yectcr-par:asite ,:,.as alsc: r:lc-f reveaieci. 'ihe piryicgeretic relatiensliip among th.e subgenera cf the oriental sap,dfiies is reassesseo anrl the fiiost probableorre is proposi:d. T}:e reiationship among the; silbgenera of,the san,,tf,lies is also reassesseci,
