Sand fly plant feeding behaviour

Control of sand flies remains a priority as they pose a significant public health threat in many parts of the world, transmitting the agents of several zoonotic and parasitic diseases to humans. Their efficient vectoring role is enhanced by specific biological and behavioral characteristics that may be targeted for control to limit pathogen spread or vector abundance. This project will address this understudied aspect of sandfly ecology by examining sand fly plant feeding behaviour which is olfactory-driven and exploited for sugars and other metabolites. The hypothesis that selective utilization of plants occurs in sand flies will be tested, focusing on selected species of Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia, with objectives to 1) identify host plant feeding sources in field trapped specimens; 2) evaluate the nutritional impact of the identified plants on sand fly survival; 3) isolate and identify odors they detect from the plants, and develop lures to maximize their attraction in field studies.  This area of research is in critical need of harnessing for sand flies, owing to its huge potential for development of nectar-based strategies in their control and even the pathogens that they transmit. Further, plant feeding is driven by olfaction and odorants mediating this behaviour can be exploited as attractants for monitoring and control of sand fly populations.