A trap for Phlebotomine sandflies attracted to rats

Abstract

Details are given of a trap for Phlebotomine sandflies attracted to a small mammal placed in a cage incorporated in the trap. It was developed in British Honduras for the purpose of studying the sandflies attracted to proven or possible hosts of Leishmania, other than man. The results of initial tests carried out at Central Farm from November 1964 to February 1965 are reported. These provided evidence that the sandflies caught in the trap were attracted to the rodents used as bait, and did not enter by chance; unbaited traps caught virtually no flies. In traps baited with rodents known to be reservoir-hosts of Leishmania, the species caught in greatest numbers was Phlebotomus apicalis Floch & Abonnenc, and amongst those caught in smaller numbers were P. cruciatus Coq. (including P. diabolicus Hall) and P. deleoni Fairchild & Hertig; it is suggested that all three are possible vectors of leishmaniasis in British Honduras. The relative numbers of the sandfly species caught in the traps were very different from those caught on man in British Honduras and by direct catching on animals in Panama.