This study updates the geographic distributions of phlebotomine species in Central-West Brazil and analyses the
climatic factors associated with their occurrence. The data were obtained from the entomology services of the state
departments of health in Central-West Brazil, scientific collections and a literature review of articles from 1962-
2014. Ecological niche models were produced for sandfly species with more than 20 occurrences using the Maxent
algorithm and eight climate variables. In all, 2,803 phlebotomine records for 127 species were analysed.
Nyssomyia whitmani,
Evandromyia lenti and
Lutzomyia longipalpis
were the species with the greatest number of records and
were present in all the biomes in Central-West Brazil. The models, which were produced for 34 species, indicated that
the
Cerrado areas in the central and western regions of Central-West Brazil were climatically more suitable to sandflies.
The variables with the greatest influence on the models were the temperature in the coldest months and the temperature
seasonality. The results show that phlebotomine species in Central-West Brazil have different geographical
distribution patterns and that climate conditions in essentially the entire region favour the occurrence of at least one
Leishmania vector species, highlighting the need to maintain or intensify vector control and surveillance strategies.
