The
nematoceraNematocera , is a primitive suborder of elongated flies with thin, segmented antennae and mostly aquatic larvae, consisting of the mosquitoes, crane flies, gnats, and midges....
n family
Psychodidae (
moth flies or
drain flies) are small true flies (Diptera) with short, hairy bodies and wings giving them a "furry" moth-like appearance. The adults have long
antennaeAntennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods and crustaceans. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in many cell types of eukaryotes....
and the
wingsInsect wings are outgrowths of the insect exoskeleton that enable insects to fly. They are found on the second and third thoracic segments , and the two pairs are often referred to as the forewings and hindwings, respectively, though a few insects lack hindwings, even rudiments...
are leaf-shaped, either slender or broad, with the most elementary wing venation of any Diptera, having little more than a series of parallel veins without crossveins. Adult Psychodidae are typically nocturnal and associated with damp
habitatsA habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular animal and plant species...
.
The
nematoceraNematocera , is a primitive suborder of elongated flies with thin, segmented antennae and mostly aquatic larvae, consisting of the mosquitoes, crane flies, gnats, and midges....
n family
Psychodidae (
moth flies or
drain flies) are small true flies (Diptera) with short, hairy bodies and wings giving them a "furry" moth-like appearance. The adults have long
antennaeAntennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods and crustaceans. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in many cell types of eukaryotes....
and the
wingsInsect wings are outgrowths of the insect exoskeleton that enable insects to fly. They are found on the second and third thoracic segments , and the two pairs are often referred to as the forewings and hindwings, respectively, though a few insects lack hindwings, even rudiments...
are leaf-shaped, either slender or broad, with the most elementary wing venation of any Diptera, having little more than a series of parallel veins without crossveins. Adult Psychodidae are typically nocturnal and associated with damp
habitatsA habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular animal and plant species...
. The larvae live in
aquaticAn aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem located in a body of water. Communities of organisms that are dependent on each other and on their environment live in aquatic ecosystems...
habitats (often with low oxygen), including bathroom sinks; they are commonly nuisance pests in bathrooms.
The subfamily
PhlebotominaeMembers of the subfamily Phlebotominae are known outside of the United States by the name sand fly. This subfamily includes numerous genera of blood-feeding flies, including the primary vectors of leishmaniasis, bartonellosis and pappataci fever...
includes many blood feeding species; they are inhabitants of more
aridA region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
regions and are often called
"sand flies" outside the USA (where "sand flies" are distantly related Nematocera of the
CeratopogonidaeCeratopogonidae, or biting midges , are a family of small flies in the order Diptera...
). This subfamily is sometimes treated as a separate family
Phlebotomidae; the type genus is
PhlebotomusPhlebotomus is a genus of "sand fly" in the Dipteran family Psychodidae. In the past, they have sometimes been considered to belong in a separate family, Phlebotomidae, but this alternative classification has not gained wide acceptance-Epidemiology:...
. Phlebotominae are a very important group medically, transmitting various tropical diseases, but most importantly kala azar
leishmaniasisLeishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites that belong to the genus Leishmania and is transmitted by the bite of certain species of sand fly...
.
In the New World, the genus incriminated for the transmission of
leishmaniasisLeishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites that belong to the genus Leishmania and is transmitted by the bite of certain species of sand fly...
is
LutzomyiaLutzomyia is a genus of "sand flies" in the Phlebotominae subfamily of the order Diptera. In the New World, Lutzomyia sand flies are responsible for the transmission of leishmaniasis, an important parasitic disease and Carrion's disease. Leishmaniasis is generally transmitted in the Old World by...
.
Lu. chagasi is responsible for the visceral form, while others like
Lu. gomezi and
Lu. longipalpis may be responsible for transmitting the cutaneous and
muco-cutaneousA mucocutaneous zone is a region of skin comprising both mucosa and cutaneous skin. These mostly occur near the orifices of the body at which the external skin stops and the mucosa that covers the inside of the body starts....
forms of this tropical disease.
Sycoracinae, another subfamily, is also of hematophagous habits, being parasitic on frogs. Until now, however, it has not been linked to any disease.
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