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The relative abundance of Phlebotomus martini Parrot and P. duboscqi Neveu-Lemaire (Diptera: Psychodidae) in animal burrows and termite mounds in Marigat Location, Baringo District, Kenya

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

Mulenda Basimike
Affiliation:
The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi Kenya
Mutuku J. Mutinga
Affiliation:
The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi Kenya
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Abstract

Animal burrows are major habitats for both P. martini and P. duboscqi, vectors of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniases in Kenya. In burrows, both species were collected throughout the year. The highest relative abundance of P. martini and P. duboscqi was recorded in August and in April, respectively. The lowest relative abundance was observed in july for P. martini and in October for P. duboscqi. In termite mounds, P. martini was present all the year round, but P. duboscqi was absent for the greater part of the year. The highest relative abundance of P. martini was observed in November and April, while that of P. duboscqi was seen in March and April. The lowest relative abundance of P. martini was recorded in July. In termite mounds, P. duboscqi showed a significant positive correlation with rainfall, contrary to P. martini which did not afford any significant correlation with any environmental factor. Rainfall, relative humidity and ambient temperature did not correlate with relative sandfly abundance in animal burrows.

Résumé

Les terriers ont constitutes des habitats principaux pour les deux espèces de phlébotomes, P. martini et P. duboscqi vectrices de la leishmaniose au Kenya. Dans les terriers, les deux espèces étaient capturées pendant toute l'année. P. martini et P. duboscqi ont presenté leur abondance relative la plus élevée respectivement en Août et en Avril, tandis que leur population a dimunié en Juillet pour P. martini et en Octobre pour P. duboscqi. Dans les termitières, P. martini était present pendant toute l'année, tandis que P. duboscqi était absent pour la grande partie de l'année. P. martini avait demontré une abondance relativement élevée en Novembre et en Avril, tandis que celle de P. duboscqi s'est produlte en Mars et en Avril. Une population réduite de P. martini était observée en Juillet. Une correlation significative entre la hauteur des pluies et la population de P. duboscqi était observée dans les termitières. Aucune correlation entre P. martini et les facteurs environmentaux étudiés était calculée. Dans les terriers, la hauteur des pluies, l'humidité relative, les temperatures ambientes et l'abondance relative des phlébotomes n'ont présenté aucune correlation.

Type
Research Articles
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1992

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References

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