title: Morphological keys for the identification of Italian phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Phlebotomine sand flies are small blood-feeding insects of great medical and veterinary significance. Their identification relies basically on the microscopic examination of key morphological characters. Therefore, identification keys are fundamental to any researcher dealing with these insects. The Italian fauna of phlebotomine sand flies consists of eight species (Phlebotomus perniciosus, Phlebotomus perfiliewi, Phlebotomus ariasi, Phlebotomus neglectus, Phlebotomus papatasi, Phlebotomus mascittii, Phlebotomus sergenti and Sergentomyia minuta), whose morphological delineation may be troublesome for non-taxonomists.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 8,757 pictures were taken from the 419 selected phlebotomine sand fly specimens collected on different occasions. Twenty-eight characters for the males and 23 for the females were examined, resulting in a database containing over 10,000 entries. Representative phlebotomine sand fly specimens for each species available were selected and relevant characters were drawn with the aid of a camera lucida.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After detailed morphological study of representative specimens, comprehensive identification keys based on key characters (e.g., pharynx and spermathecae of females and male terminalia) were elaborated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The identification keys provided herein allow the identification of genera and species of phlebotomine sand flies of Italy and they will facilitate future studies on these medically important insects.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Strada Provinciale per Casamassima, 70010, Valenzano, Bari, Italy. filipe.vet@globo.com.|Departamento de Imunologia, Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães, Recife, Brazil. filipe.vet@globo.com.
authors.forename: Filipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dantas-Torres
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Imunologia, Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães, Recife, Brazil. viviana.tarallo@uniba.it.
authors.forename: Viviana Domenica
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Tarallo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Imunologia, Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães, Recife, Brazil. domenico.otranto@uniba.it.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Otranto
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification* / Q000502:physiology