Publication date: Available online 28 October 2026 Source: Acta Tropica Author(s): Younis Ibrahim Mohammed Ali Al-Joary, Zeena Zakaria Idrees Al-Mashhadany, Muneef Abid Mustafa Al-Hamadany, Zainab Mohammad Abd Alrazaq Ali Altai, Mustafa Ali Adel Ali Moslawi, Manal Younis Mahdi Hasan Al Hasan, Watban Mohammed Ali Haso Almiemari

Publication date: Available online 28 October 2026 Source: Acta Tropica Author(s): Younis Ibrahim Mohammed Ali Al-Joary, Zeena Zakaria Idrees Al-Mashhadany, Muneef Abid Mustafa Al-Hamadany, Zainab Mohammad Abd Alrazaq Ali Altai, Mustafa Ali Adel Ali Moslawi, Manal Younis Mahdi Hasan Al Hasan, Watban Mohammed Ali Haso Almiemari

Virtual Lab Tour Series 1: Sandfly (Diptera:Psychodidae) Rearing Facilities and Research Programs Join the first session of the ESOVE ECP Virtual Lab Tour Series, featuring Jorian Prudhomme, PhD from...

Phlebotomine sand flies are major vectors of Leishmania parasites, yet the mechanisms underlying their blood-feeding behavior remain poorly understood. In Lutzomyia longipalpis, the primary vector of Leishmania infantum in the Americas, feeding occurs via telmophagy, a pool-feeding method which is known by involving dermal laceration, salivation, and the creation of a blood pool. While the biochemical effects of sand fly saliva on host hemostasis, inflammation, and immunity are well studied, the...

PDF | Diptera (flies, mosquitoes, and related insects) are holometabolous insects distinguished by the presence of a single pair of wings in adults.... | Find, read and cite all the research you need ...

Publication date: August 2026 Source: Acta Tropica, Volume 280 Author(s): Hammad Ullah, Khurshaid Khan, Noor Badshah, Safeer Ullah Shah, Muhammad Sajjad

Publication date: August 2026 Source: Acta Tropica, Volume 280 Author(s): João Victor Costa Guesser, Marcos Antonio Bezerra-Santos, Renata Fagundes-Moreira, Marco Friuli, Petr Volf, Domenico Otranto

Publication date: August 2026 Source: Acta Tropica, Volume 280 Author(s): Hammad Ullah, Khurshaid Khan, Noor Badshah, Safeer Ullah Shah, Muhammad Sajjad

Publication date: August 2026 Source: Acta Tropica, Volume 280 Author(s): João Victor Costa Guesser, Marcos Antonio Bezerra-Santos, Renata Fagundes-Moreira, Marco Friuli, Petr Volf, Domenico Otranto

Phlebotomine sandflies, important vectors of leishmaniasis, were surveyed between 2020 and 2023 in 4 southern regions of Uzbekistan-Surkhandarya, Kashkadarya, Jizzakh, and Samarkand-where human cases have been reported. A total of 2,905 specimens were collected and identified, representing 9 species from 2 genera: Phlebotomus (P. papatasi, P. sergenti, P. longiductus, P. caucasicus, P. mongolensis, P. andrejevi, P. alexandri) and Sergentomyia (S. sogdiana, S. grecovi). Sandfly abundance was...

Publication date: Available online 28 March 2026 Source: Acta Tropica Author(s): Bruno Leite Rodrigues, Alessandra Gutierrez de Oliveira, Israel de Souza Pinto, Eunice Aparecida Bianchi Galati

Publication date: Available online 28 March 2026 Source: Acta Tropica Author(s): Bruno Leite Rodrigues, Alessandra Gutierrez de Oliveira, Israel de Souza Pinto, Eunice Aparecida Bianchi Galati

Phlebotomine sand flies are major vectors of Leishmania parasites, yet the mechanisms underlying their blood-feeding behavior remain poorly understood. In Lutzomyia longipalpis, the primary vector of Leishmania infantum in the Americas, feeding occurs via telmophagy, a pool-feeding method which is known by involving dermal laceration, salivation, and the creation of a blood pool. While the biochemical effects of sand fly saliva on host hemostasis, inflammation, and immunity are well studied, the dynamics of mouthpart movements and saliva at the feeding site remain to be systematically explored. Using intravital microscopy, fluorescent saliva labelling and image analysis, we characterized the mechanical actions of mouthparts and the spatial-temporal patterns of salivation during feeding on mammalian skin. Our recordings indicate that the labrum and hypopharynx are the most prominent mouthparts during feeding and exhibit scissor-like movements during probing. At specific moments, these structures close forcefully, generating small blood splashes in multiple directions. Feeding occurred in two distinct phases: an initial probing phase, often distinguished by ineffective blood intake, and a subsequent engorgement phase that was initiated exclusively upon the activation of small dermal "feeder vessels."Acridine Orange labelling showed abundant early salivation that penetrated progressively deeper into the dermis and remained detectable for over an hour, reflecting both the tissue damage and enzymatic effects. The analysis of images demonstrated the sequential salivation events, highlighting an initial high-frequency phase followed by a more gradual pattern during engorgement. These findings provide the first real-time, detailed view of the coordinated interactions between mouthpart mechanics, targeted salivation, and host microvascular responses in Lu. longipalpis. This study redefines sand fly telmophagy as a non-passive and coordinated process integrating mouthpart mechanics, salivation, and modulation of host vasculature. This work advances our understanding of sand fly vector-host interactions and underscores the potential of salivary molecules as targets for transmission-blocking strategies.