Morphological and isoenzymatic differentiation of sympatric populations of Phlebotomus perniciosus and Phlebotomus longicuspis (Diptera: Psychodidae) in northern Morocco

The phlebotomine sandfly Phlebotomus perniciosus Newstead is a vector of Leishmania infantum Nicolle in the western Mediterranean basin. In northern Morocco it is often caught in sympatry with a closely related species, P. longicuspis Nitzulescu. In the locality of Chefchaouene where females of both species were morphologically distinguishable, none of the collected males exhibited forked copulatory valves, which is considered a specific character for P, perniciosus. They Ist were identified as P. longicuspis. Isoelectrofocusing of 7 enzyme systems was used to compare these specimens with the sympatric females. Two groups of males were separated and assigned to each species by their isoenzyme patterns associated with morphological differences in the shape of the aedaegus and in the number of coxite hairs. Based on our results, a reexamination of the distribution of both species is necessary especially in many locations where P. longicuspis has been identified only from males.