IDENTIFICATION AND NEW DISTRIBUTION RECORDS OF SERGENTOMYIA (SINTONIUS) TIBERIADIS PAKISTANICA ARTEMIEV AND SAFAYANOVA (1974) AND ITS PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIP WITH ITS CLOSEST ALLIES

A survey was done to develop taxonomic record of sand flies Sergentomyia (Sintonius) tiberiadis pakistanica (Artemiev and Safayanova) in Sindh and Punjab. This species was recorded for the first time from the endemic localities of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sindh, Punjab and NWF Province (Dera Ismail Khan). In order to facilitate the correct identification of S. tiberiadis pakistanica, morphological/ taxonomic characters especially wings, cibarium, mouth parts, male and female genitalia were studied. A key is also given to S. tiberiadis pakistanica and its closest allies of the subgenus Sintonius (Nitzulescu), and its cladistic relationship with the closest allies is also briefly discussed In view of the published reports about the detection of encephalitis viruses from the species of the genus Sergentomyia (Franca and Theodor) from the Indian localities and their possible role in kala-azar transmission, the correct identification of the species becomes of significant value in the study of epidemiology of leishmaniasis and other viral diseases..