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Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz
ISSN: 1678-8060 EISSN: 1678-8060
Vol. 90, Num. 5, 1995, pp. 557-558
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Vol. 90 (5), sep./oct. 1995

RESEARCH NOTE

Preliminary Survey of Phlebotomine Sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Northern Nigeria

Simon M Agwale+, Dung D Pam, Blaise Dondji, Dochka D Duhlinska

Applied Entomology and Parasitology Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Jos, P.M.B. 2084 Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

Code Number: OC95111
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Key words: Nigeria - sandflies - Phlebotomus -Sergentomyia

In this paper we report a preliminary survey of the species composition of sandflies in northern Nigeria, particularly in Keana village of Plateau State, an endemic area for leishmaniasis (SM Agwale et al 1993 Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 88: 347).

Although data on the sandflies fauna of northern Nigeria has been accumulated (DJ Lewis, B McMillan 1961 Proc R Entomol Soc Lond Ser B Taxon 30: 29-37, EJ Asimeng 1985 Insect Sci Appl 6: 27-31), this is the first report on the species composition of sandflies in this active focus of leishmaniasis in Nigeria.

A survey of phlebotomine sandlflies was carried out in northern Nigeria particularly in Keana village to determine the species composition and their relative abundance. Sandflies from Zaria, Kaduna and Kano were exclusively collected by sticky traps prepared from parchment paper (18 by 24cm) coated on both surfaces with engine oil, whereas both mouth aspiration and sticky traps methods were used to collect sandflies from Katsina and Keana. Single collection was made during October 1993 at Zaria, Kaduna, Kano and Katsina, whereas a monthly collection was made at Keana village (October 1993 to October 1994), but collections were not made from May through July in this area. Species identification of the sandflies was made using the standard keys (E Abonnec 1972 Bull Br Mus Nat Hist Ent 45: 121-209, DJ Lewis 1982 Bull Br Mus Nat Hist Ent 45: 121-209).

Eight species of phlebotomine sandflies belonging to the Old World genera namely Sergentomyia and Phlebotomus were collected. The species of the genus Sergentomyia constituted the major proportion of the entire sandflies collected. They consisted of 678 (63.66%) S. (S.) africana Newstead, 319 (29.95%) S. (S.) antennata Newstead, 16 (1.50%) S. (S.) clydei Sinton, 14 (1.32%) S. (G.) squamipleuris Newstead, 5 (0.45%) S. (S.) bedfordi Newstead and 5 (0.45%) S. (S.) schwitzi Adler et al Only two species of the genus Phlebotomus were discovered; they consisted of 23 (2.16%) P. (P.) duboscqi Neveu-Lemaire from Katsina and 5 (0.45%) P. (A.) rhodaini Parrot from Keana. Of the 23 specimens of P. duboscqi, 20 were collected by mouth aspirator on walls indoors and 3 by sticky traps.

TABLE. The species composition of sandfly samples collected at different sites in Northern Nigeria

-------------------------------------------------------------
Geographical             Sandflies species
area        -------------------------------------------------
           P. dubosqi  P. rhodaini  S. africana S. antennata
          m    f       m    f       m    f      m    f
            No Gv Inf    No Gv Inf    No Gv Inf    No Gv Inf
-------------------------------------------------------------
Katsina  16 7  3  3                 7  1
Kano                                1
Zaria                               1
Kaduna                              7            4
Keana                  4 1         401 260 166 4 219 96 76
-------------------------------------------------------------
Total      23           5             678           319
-------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------
Geographical             Sandflies species
area        -------------------------------------------------
         S. clydei  S. squamipleuris S. bedfordi S. schwitzi 
          m    f       m    f       m    f      m    f
            No Gv Inf    No Gv Inf    No Gv Inf    No Gv Inf
-------------------------------------------------------------
Katsina  
Kano     
Zaria    
Kaduna   
Keana    4  12 5       13  1        4   1         3 2  2
-------------------------------------------------------------
Total      16           14           5             5
-------------------------------------------------------------

m: male; f: female; No: number Gv: gravid; infected

Although S. africana and S. antennata persisted throughtout the year, none of the species has been incriminated in the transmission of human leishmaniasis. The highest number of species was recorded in August through October. The study confirmed that the phlebotomine fauna in the leishmaniasis endemic area consists mainly of Sergentomyia species.

In northern Nigeria, P. duboscqi has been identified in the Sahel and Sudan Savanna bioclimatic zones (Asimeng loc. cit., Lewis loc. cit.). It appears from this study that the distribution of this species does not extend into the Guinea Savanna as was also reported (EJ Asimeng 1991 Insect Sci Appli 28: 578-580). The only sandfly of the genus Phlebotomus collected from the endemic focus (P. rhodaini) has not been incriminated in the transmission of human leishmaniasis.

This findings so far may trigger a suspicion and further investigation of the role of sandflies of the genus Sergentomyia in the transmission of leishmaniasis. Molecular characterization of Leishmania isolates from humans living in the focus (Keana village) is now in progress, and when completed will give new information of this public health significance in Nigeria. Active search of sandflies species composition in this region is still in progress in order to isolate Leishmania parasites from infected specimens. Colonization of species of the genus Sergentomyia and subsequent experimental infection will also be interesting to complement this study.

Acknowledgements: to Prof. R Killick-Kendrick for reading the manuscript.

This work was supported by the UNDP/WORLD BANK/WHO Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases. This study fulfils part of the requirement for the award of a PhD degree to SM Agwale by the University of Jos, Nigeria.

+ Corresponding author

Received 21 November 1994

Accepted 23 May 1995

Copyright 1995 Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz

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