Species Composition and Relative Abundance of Sand Flies (Diptera, Psychodidae Phlebotomine) Across Various Habitats in the District Swat

Sand flies are hematophagous dipterans notorious for disease transmission in both humans and animals. They are most notably associated with cutaneous leishmaniasis, a serious zoonotic infection. Current study provides a detailed analysis of sand fly populations across various habitats in the District Swat, focusing on their relative abundance and degree of presence. A comprehensive survey was conducted in District Swat, Pakistan. The survey involved sampling of adult male and female sand flies collected from both indoor and outdoor locations at different times of the day and night. A total of 12 species in five genera were observed from a variety of indoor and outdoor habitats including mud-built, concrete, and stone structures. A total of 12 distinct sandfly species belonging to 2 distinct genera (Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia) were observed. Night collections revealed P. salengensis (30.2%) and P. sergenti (28.4%) as dominant species with high prevalence (85–92%). Indoors, mud houses hosted more P. salengensis (34.9%) and P. sergenti (29.7%), while concrete houses had fewer individuals (9.5% and 2.0%). S. babu, S. dentata, and S. baghdadis showed female-biased niche preferences in mud houses. Rare species (P. andrejevi, S. montana) appeared sporadically whereas, S. montana (0.01%) appeared only outdoors. Cattle dung sites yielded P. salengensis (3.5%) presence emphasizing habitat-specific preferences. Findings of the present study underscore habitat-driven species distribution which is critical for targeted vector control.