Diversity and ecology of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in coastal French Guiana.

In French Guiana, at least five Leishmania species are known to be sympatically transmitted in sylvatic ecotopes. However, the previous surveys on the phlebotomine sand fly fauna were published 20 years ago. During that period, many ecological changes have occurred. Sand fly collections were conducted with CDC light traps in five stations representing the main ecotopes of French Guiana. A total of 817 sand flies belonging to 2 genera, 18 sub-genera, and 46 different species were identified. The species Lutzomyia umbratilis (16.6% of the collected specimens), Lu. infraspinosa (12.7%), Lu. ininii (8.0%), and Lu. flaviscutellata (6.1%) were the most common species. The stratification by height, activity period, and resting site preferences of the most abundant sand flies were analyzed. Population abundance and diversity were compared for each ecotope. The potential of certain sand fly species in leishmaniasis transmission is discussed.