Electrophoretic studies on genetic polymorphism and differentiation of phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) from France and Tunisia

Abstract

During the summer of 1978 specimens of Phlebotomus pemiciosus and eight other species of sandflies were collected from three localities in southern France and three in Tunisia. The flies which were captured from human bait, light traps and resting sites were examined by electrophoresis for 21 enzymes. Of these 16 were detected with varying degrees of success. It is concluded that the most useful diagnostic enzymes found so far from work on phlebotomine sandflies are MDH, PGM, PGI, GOT, HK and a-GPD. Characteristic enzyme loci were detected which enabled biochemical identification of the two most common species collected in southern France (P. ariasi and P. pemiciosus). Clear enzymatic differences between P. perniciosus and P. perfiliewi were demonstrated and may be useful in differentiating these species during epidemiological studies on leishmaniasis, for example in endemic areas of Italy where these species occur sympatrically. Normal geographical variations in some polymorphic enzyme loci were detected in P. ariasi from France and P. pemiciosus from France and Tunisia but further studies are needed in order to confirm whether they are of some statistical significance. It is concluded that biochemical methods may have a useful role to play in both the systematics and the analysis of population structure and differentiation of the Phlebotominae.