The Effects of Different Lunar Phases on Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) Biodiversity in an Important Focus of Leishmaniasis, Southeast Iran

Saideh  Yousefi; Madineh  Abbasi; Reza  Sadeghi; Mozafar  Vahedi; Parniya  Abolghaseminejad; Amir Ahmad  Akhavan; Ali Reza  Zahraei-Ramazani

doi:10.18502/jad.v18i4.19343

Saideh Yousefi Department of Public Health, Sirjan School of Medical Sciences, Sirjan, Iran
Madineh Abbasi Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Sina Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Reza Sadeghi Department of Public Health, Sirjan School of Medical Sciences, Sirjan, Iran
Mozafar Vahedi Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Parniya Abolghaseminejad Department of Public Health, Sirjan School of Medical Sciences, Sirjan, Iran
Amir Ahmad Akhavan Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Ali Reza Zahraei-Ramazani Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jad.v18i4.19343

Keywords: Anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis; Ecology; Phlebotomine sand flies; Diversity

Abstract

Background: Anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) caused by Leishmania tropica is endemic in most parts of Iran; however, its vector ecology has not been extensively studied. This study investigates the effects of lunar phases and climatic factors on the biodiversity and frequency of sand flies in various biotopes, with and without artificial light.

Methods: Sand flies were collected using sticky paper traps in four lunar phases (new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter). Alpha and beta diversity indices were calculated using the relevant formulas. Poisson regression analysis was used to study the relationship between lunar phases and climatic factors with the sand fly frequency.

Results: In places with artificial light, the highest richness was observed in the new moon and the first quarter (S= 7), and the highest species evenness and Shannon-Wiener indices were observed in the last quarter (E= 0.464, H= 0.832) phases. But in areas without artificial light, the maximum value of richness was in the first quarter and full moon (S= 9), and the highest value of evenness and Shannon–Wiener was in the first quarter (E= 0.748, H= 1.645). Non-parametric tests revealed that among climatic factors, only wind speed exhibited a significant correlation with sand fly frequency.

Conclusion: The highest diversity in biotopes with and without artificial light was observed in the last quarter and first quarter, respectively, and also, wind speed influenced the frequency and diversity of sand flies in different habitats, so in sand fly surveillance, it is crucial to consider these important factors.