title: Entomological study of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in Asalouyeh, the heartland of an Iranian petrochemical industry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  TO INVESTIGATE THE FAUNA AND SEASONAL ACTIVITY OF DIFFERENT SPECIES OF SAND FLIES (DIPTERA: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in Asalouyeh, the heartland of an Iranian petrochemical industry, Southern Iran, as a oil rich district. Sand flies are the vectors of at least three different kinds of disease, the most important of which is leishmaniasis, and it is a major public health problem in Iran with increased annual occurrence of clinical episodes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 3 497 sand flies of rural regions were collected by sticky traps fixed, and cleared in puris medium and identified morphologically, twice a month from April to March 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Predominant species included four of genus Phlebotomus (Phlebotomus alexandri Sinton, 1928, Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli, 1910, Phlebotomus bergeroti Parrot and Phlebotomus sergenti Parrot) and one of genus Sergentomyia (Sergentomyia tiberiadis Alder, Theodor & Lourie, 1930). The most prevalent species was Phlebotomus papatasi, presented 56.4% of the identified flies. The others were Phlebotomus sergenti (22.5%), Phlebotomus alexandri (4.5%), Phlebotomus bergeroti (12%) and Sergentomyia tiberiadis (5%) as well. The percentage of females (68%) was more than that of males (32%). The abundance of sand flies represented two peaks of activity; one in early May and the other one in the first half of September in the region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Phlebotomus papatasi is the probable vector of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in the region. Further molecular studies are needed to determine the definite vector of the region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Entomology, School of Health and Nutrition, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamzeh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alipour
authors.affiliation: The Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Science, Bushehr, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossien
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Darabi
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Tahere
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dabbaghmanesh
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonyani
keywords: Asalouyeh; Bushehr; Leishmaniasis; Sand flies