Trapping site 1: Portugal
Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Leading Partner
Sand fly sample collection
Sand fly data collection involved longitudinal entomological surveys conducted from April to November 2023.
This included the use of CDC light traps for two nights per month across 30 sampling locations. Of these, 14 were situated in the Metropolitan Region of Lisbon (Lx), while the remaining 16 were in the Algarve region (AL).
Sampling sites included various animal habitats such as hen houses, stables, and kennels. Additionally, data loggers were deployed at each location to monitor temperature and humidity levels every two hours.
Traps used to catch sand flies
The insects are captured at night, and they will be collected to later be analysed in the laboratory.
Sand flies flight pattern as it can be seen in the video, consists of small hops, which is very characteristic of compared to mosquitoes.
Image credits: © Carla Maia / UNL
Sand fly collection and analysis
Sand flies after being separated from other insects are preserved at -80ºC until they are identified. When they are in the laboratory, they are separated with ice blocks under the Petrick dish to separate mosquitoes, non-target species and sand flies.
Image credits: © Carla Maia / UNL
Sand fly specimens
Sand fly specimens
Specimens were captured in a single trap, with a ‘red’ female in the middle.
Red female sand fly
This female will be used, following morphological identification, for the extraction of nucleic acids and detection of Leishmania, and Phlebovirus, and also for identifying the food source.
Sand flies separated
Sand flies, after being separated from other insects, will be preserved at -80°C until they are identified
Sand flies separated
Females and male sand fly
At 12 o’clock and 3 o’clock are females sand fly, at 6 o’clock is a blood-fed female, and at 9 o’clock is a male sand fly.
Sand flies separated
Preliminary results
Algarve 2023
| Algarve (2023) | No of pools (female) | No of pools (male) | Total no of pools | No of blood fed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ph. papatasi | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Ph. sergenti | 21 | 21 | 42 | 12 |
| Ph. ariasi | 31 | 28 | 59 | 11 |
| Ph. perniciosus | 153 | 155 | 308 | 222 |
| Se. minuta | 60 | 44 | 104 | 14 |
| Not identified* | 3 | 4 | 7 | 3 |
| Total | 269 | 254 | 523 | 264 |
LMA 2023
| LMA (2023) | No of pools (female) | No of pools (male) | Total no of pools | No of blood fed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ph. papatasi | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ph. sergenti | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Ph. ariasi | 3 | 13 | 16 | 2 |
| Ph. perniciosus | 20 | 53 | 73 | 38 |
| Se. minuta | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| Not identified* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 27 | 70 | 97 | 41 |
