The North Chinese species of the genus Phlebotomus (diptera psychodidœ)

Abstract

A description is given of the differential characters of the immature stages of the 3 Chinese species, P. taianensis (p. 545), P. major chinensis and P. sergenti var. The eggs and the 1st and 4th larval instars are figured and described. The eggs vary slightly in size and shape and in each species the corion shows characteristic markings. The larvae are without eyes and have well developed heads and biting mouth parts and 3 distinct thoracic and 10 abdominal segments. The posterior spiracle is on the 8th and the caudal bristles on the 9th abdominal segment. The first 8 abdominal segments each bears a fleshy ventral pseudopod. The head and body segments bear bristles which are described as taxonomic characters. The chaetotaxy of the last larval skin of Phlebotomus, always attached to the pupa, will identify it. The authors point out that the [male] terminalia offer reliable taxonomic characters and the [female] terminalia do not. They use the structure of the mid-pharynx (buccal cavity) and the spermatheca in distinguishing the [female] [female] of these species. P major chinensis has 1 brood a year, the maximum emergence of adults occurring about the middle of June. P. sergenti var., the most common sandfly in China, seems to have at least 2 broods a year, adults appearing from the end of May into August and even in September. P tainanensis is common in temples, the adults being taken from the end of May until the middle of September. It seems to feed normally on batrachian or reptilian blood. The authors found no evidence of these flies except in the provinces north of the Yangtse, which range agrees with the known occurrence of the kala-azar.