A new species under genus Sergentomyia and subgenus (Vijaia) barshi sp.nov. (Diptera: Psychodidae) from Barshi, Sholapur distirct, Maharashtra State, India with keys to the species

The genus Sergentomyia .(Vijaia) nov. barshi sp.nov. Phlebotomine sand fly is described with illustrations of adult females and males. Other six species under the genus Sergentomyia are Se .(Ser.) punjabensis (Sinton), Se. (Ser.) dentata (Sinton), Se. (Ser.) theodori. (Parrot), Se. (Ser.) murgabiensis (Perfiliew), Se. (Ser.) mercynae Pringle, and Se. (Ser.) fallax afghanica Artemiev. Modi & Dhanda (1972) reported seven species from termitaries in Maharashtra India, namely P. (E.) argentipes (Annandale & Brunetti). P. (An.) colobaensis (Young & Chelam), Se.(Ser.) babu (Annandale). Se.bailyi (Sinton), Se.(Sintonius) clydei (Sinton), Se. (Parrotomyia) brevicaulis (Quate), Se. (Ser.) punjabensis(Sinton). It is well known that many species of Phlebotomus bite mammals, and that at least some species of Sergentomyia attack lizards or other cold-blooded animals, some feed from amphibia and some from birds. Some mammal-biters feed from a range of species. Certain mammal-biters occasionally bite lizards, and vice versa, and a few African species of Sergentomyia sometimes attack man. One American sand fly which normally feeds on wild mammals occasionally bites man, apparently when its normal host is absent (Lewis, 1974), and this type of behaviour may account for some of the records of Oriental Sergntomyia biting man. Searches in rodent burrows, tree holes in a thick forested area were made. I found four species of sand flies in termite mounds namely Se. (Parrot.) babu, Se. (Ser.) clydei, Se. (Ser.) bailyi, Se. (Vijaia) barshi. Further collections were made in villages surrounding Barshi for laboratory colonization and experimental transmission of arboviruses by Se. (Vijaia) barshi sp. nov.