Lutzomyia

From Freepedia

? Lutzomyia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Subclass: Pterygota Infraclass: Neoptera Superorder: Endopterygota Order: Diptera Family: Psychodidae? Genus: Lutzomyia Genus: Phlebotomus
Species
Species Lutzomyia amazonensis Species Lutzomyia aragaoi Species Lutzomyia cruzi Species Lutzomyia intermedia Species Lutzomyia longipalpis Species Lutzomyia migonei Species Lutzomyia whitmani

Lutzomyia is a genus of flies, or diptera, that generally includes "sand flies". In the New World, Lutzomyia sand flies are responsible for the transmission of leishmaniasis, an important parasitic disease. Leishmaniasis is generally transmitted in the Old World by sand flies of the genus Phlebotomus. The parasite itself is a species of the genus leishmania, a protozoan. The disease normally finds a mammalian reservoir in small animals such as rodents and canids. The sand fly carries the leishmania protozoa from infected animals after feeding, thus transmitting the disease.

• CIPA Computer-aided Identification of Phlebotomine sandlies of America