Comparison of the diversity of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in two physiographic regions with different bioclimatic conditions and cutaneous leishmaniasis transmission

We tested the hypothesis that bioclimatic conditions affect the species richness, abundance, and diversity of sand flies in neighboring physiographic regions with endemic transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis. A sampling program was performed in southeastern Mexico in the High Plateau of Chiapas and the Eastern Mountains physiographic regions, between April 2009 and March 2011. CDC light traps were placed in five randomly selected houses, four CDC traps in four transects in the surrounding vegetation zones, and a modified Magoon trap baited with one protected person was installed at the periphery of the villages at each study site. A total of 12,349 sand flies were identified as species, of which 98.2