Morphological description of sand flies has remained a neglected area.
The different organs used in taxonomy have not yet been described
adequately with the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We have examined
the external genital structures of females of three Old World phlebotomine
sand flies under SEM and recorded the morphological variations of the
organs. We have found the female external genital structures of the three
species varied considerably in morphology. The importance of the female
external genital structures in sand fly identification is indicated.
