The knowns and unknowns of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in selected countries of Central Europe.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Sand flies are vectors of the protozoan Leishmania spp. and phleboviruses. In Europe, several species are widely distributed in the Mediterranean region and a northward spread can be observed. They can be found regularly also in some regions of Central Europe, with Phlebotomus mascittii being the most cold-tolerant and northerly distributed species, but the knowledge on their distribution in countries such as Germany, Austria, Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary remains fragmentary because of a lack of comprehensive field studies and a poor understanding of the ecological requirements and phylogeographic history.

Methods

A comprehensive literature review of sand fly occurrence in five Central European countries was complemented by entomological surveys, including sand

SUBMITTER: Platzgummer K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12771879 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature