Diel periodicity and visual cues guide oviposition behavior in Phlebotomus papatasi vector of old-world cutaneous leishmaniasis

摘要

BackgroundPhlebotomine sand flies are vectors of human leishmaniases, important neglected tropical diseases. In this study, we investigated diel patterns of oviposition behavior, effects of visual cues on oviposition-site selection, and whether these affect the attraction of gravid Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli), the vector of old-world cutaneous leishmaniasis, to olfactory cues from oviposition sites.