About the eastern limit of distribution of Phlebotomus ariasi (Diptera: Psychodidae)

The note reports the date of a sandfly investigation carried out in the provinces of Liguria region (Italy) during the sandfly season of 1995. A total of 2,216 sandflies was collected in the four provinces during 3 months. The following species were identified: P. pernicious (31.8 %), P. ariasi (0.8 %) and Sergentomyia minuta (67.4 %). P. perniciosus, the proven vector of visceral leishmaniasis in (tory was present in all the positive sites sampled. On the contrary, P. ariasi was collected only in the provinces of Imperia and Savona. The eastern geographical distribution of P. ariasi is discussed.