title: Relationships of new world phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) based on fossil evidence.
abstract: The fossil record and systematics of phlebotomid sand flies, vectors of leishmaniasis and arbovirus in several regions of the world, strongly support that living genera existed long before the Oligocene (38 million years, myr). A common Phlebotominae ancestor was present in the Triassic period before the separations of continents (248 myr).
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Leishmanioses, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou-Fiocruz, Av. Augusto de Lima 1715, 30190-002 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: José Dilermando Andrade
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Filho
authors.forename: Reginaldo Peçanha
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Brazil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005580:Fossils; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*