title: Ecology and spatiotemporal dynamics of sandflies in the Mediterranean Languedoc region (Roquedur area, Gard, France).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Phlebotomine sandflies are hematophagous insects widely present in Western Mediterranean countries and known for their role as Leishmania vectors. During the last ten years, the risk of leishmaniasis re-emergence has increased in France. However, sandfly biology and ecology in the South of France remain poorly known because the last detailed study on their spatiotemporal dynamics was performed over 30 years ago. The aim of the present study was to update our knowledge on sandfly ecology by determining their spatiotemporal dynamics and by investigating the relationship between environmental/climatic factors and the presence and abundance of sandflies in the South of France.
  
  
  METHODS
  An entomological survey was carried out during three years (2011-2013) along a 14 kilometer-long transect. The findings were compared with the data collected along the same transect in 1977. Data loggers were placed in each station and programmed to record temperature and relative humidity every six hours between April 2011 and November 2014. Several environmental factors (such as altitude, slope and wall orientation (North, East, West and South)) were characterized at each station.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four sandfly species were collected: Phlebotomus ariasi and Sergentomyia minuta, which were predominant, Ph. perniciosus and Ph. mascittii. Sandfly activity within the studied area started in May and ended in October with peaks in July-August at the optimum average temperature. We found a positive effect of altitude and temperature and a negative effect of relative humidity on Ph. ariasi and Se. minuta presence. We detected interspecific differences and non-linear effects of these climatic variables on sandfly abundance. Although the environment has considerably changed in 30 years, no significant difference in sandfly dynamics and species diversity was found by comparing the 1977 and 2011-2013 data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study shows that this area maintains a rich sandfly fauna with high Ph. ariasi population density during the active season. This represents a risk for Leishmania transmission. The analysis revealed that the presence and abundance of Ph. ariasi and Se. minuta were differently correlated with the environmental and climatic factors. Comparison with the data collected in 1977 highlighted the sandfly population stability, suggesting that they can adapt, in the short and long term, to changing ecosystems.
authors.affiliation: Centre IRD, UMR MIVEGEC (IRD 224 - CNRS 5290 - Université Montpellier), F34394, Montpellier, France. jorian.prudhomme@hotmail.fr.
authors.forename: Jorian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prudhomme
authors.affiliation: Centre IRD, UMR MIVEGEC (IRD 224 - CNRS 5290 - Université Montpellier), F34394, Montpellier, France. nil.rahola@ird.fr.
authors.forename: Nil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rahola
authors.affiliation: Centre IRD, UMR MIVEGEC (IRD 224 - CNRS 5290 - Université Montpellier), F34394, Montpellier, France. celine.toty@ird.fr.
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Toty
authors.affiliation: Centre IRD, UMR MIVEGEC (IRD 224 - CNRS 5290 - Université Montpellier), F34394, Montpellier, France. cecile.cassan@ird.fr.
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cassan
authors.affiliation: Centre IRD, UMR MIVEGEC (IRD 224 - CNRS 5290 - Université Montpellier), F34394, Montpellier, France. davidroiz@gmail.com.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roiz
authors.affiliation: Centre IRD, UMR MIVEGEC (IRD 224 - CNRS 5290 - Université Montpellier), F34394, Montpellier, France. baptiste.vergnes@ird.fr.
authors.forename: Baptiste
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vergnes
authors.affiliation: Centre IRD, UMR MIVEGEC (IRD 224 - CNRS 5290 - Université Montpellier), F34394, Montpellier, France. magalithierry@wanadoo.fr.
authors.forename: Magali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thierry
authors.affiliation: Faculté de Médecine, Université Montpellier, 2 rue Ecole de médecine, 34000, Montpellier, France. j.a.rioux@wanadoo.fr.
authors.forename: Jean-Antoine
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rioux
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Ecology Section, ESRL Laboratories, Hacettepe University, 0680 Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey. kaynas@hacettepe.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alten
authors.affiliation: UMR INTERTRYP (IRD - CIRAD 177), Centre IRD, F34394, Montpellier, France. denis.sereno@ird.fr.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sereno
authors.affiliation: Centre IRD, UMR MIVEGEC (IRD 224 - CNRS 5290 - Université Montpellier), F34394, Montpellier, France. anne-laure.banuls@ird.fr.
authors.forename: Anne-Laure
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Bañuls
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017753:Ecosystem; D005602:France; D006813:Humidity; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development*; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis; D013696:Temperature