Early detection of Sergentomyia minuta (Diptera: Phlebotominae) in Madrid, Spain: an early warning for the temporal dynamic modification of leishmaniosis’ epidemiology?

Global changes, such as climate change, represent a worldwide risk for the management of leishmaniosis. The transmission profile can be modified by several mechanisms, mainly through the distribution and ecology of the vectors, causing direct effects on their survival, generation time, reproduction rate and population size. Sergentomyia minuta is an endemic species of the Old World, considered the most abundant in some areas of Spain. Even though S. minuta has traditionally been seen as herpetophilic, several recent researches suggest this species plays a potential role in Leishmania infantum transmission. Furthermore, the Toscana virus has previously been detected in S. minuta and the potential role of this species in the epidemiology of this emerging arbovirus is still uncertain and needs further research. At the end of April 2023, a total of 10 individuals of S. minuta were collected in Torrelodones (Madrid, Central Spain), this being the first collection of sand flies of any species during April in this region. While it is known that climate change can have a significant impact on sand fly distribution and behavior, little is known about the microscale effects of this variation on vector biology and ecology. The early detection of S. minuta in an endemic area of leishmaniosis such as the Madrid autonomous community may act as an early warning of the risk of temporal dynamic changes in Phlebotomus species in response to global change.