BACKGROUND: Phlebotomine sand flies are the principal vectors of Leishmania spp. (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae). Information on sand flies in Central Europe is scarce and, to date, in Austria, only Phlebotomus mascittii has been recorded. In 2018 and 2019, entomological surveys were conducted in Austria with the aim to further clarify sand fly distribution and species composition. RESULTS: In 2019, a Ph. simici specimen was trapped in Austria for the first time. Analyses of two commonly used marker genes, cytochrome c oxidase I (coxI) and cytochrome b (cytb), revealed high sequence identity with Ph. simici specimens from North Macedonia and Greece. Phylogenetic analyses showed high intraspecific distances within Ph. simici, thereby dividing this species into three lineages: one each from Europe, Turkey and Israel. Low interspecific distances between Ph. simici, Ph. brevis and an as yet unidentified Adlerius sp. from Turkey and Armenia highlight how challenging molecular identification within the Adlerius complex can be, even when standard marker genes are applied. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this study reports the first finding of Ph. simici in Austria, representing the northernmost recording of this species to date. Moreover, it reveals valuable insights into the phylogenetic relationships among species within the subgenus Adlerius. Phlebotomus simici is a suspected vector of L. infantum and therefore of medical and veterinary importance. Potential sand fly expansion in Central Europe due to climatic change and the increasing import of Leishmania-infected dogs from endemic areas support the need for further studies on sand fly distribution in Austria and Central Europe in general.

Department of Dermatology and Tropical Medicine Military Medical Cluster East Austrian Armed Forces Vienna Austria

Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research Institute of Zoology University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna Austria

Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Saints Cyril and Methodius University Skopje North Macedonia

Department of Parasitology Faculty of Science Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Division of Science Research and Development Federal Ministry of Defence Vienna Austria

European Biological Control Laboratory US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Thessaloniki Greece

Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine Center for Pathophysiology Infectiology and Immunology Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria

Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology Parasitology Zoonoses and Geographical Medicine Faculty of Medicine University of Crete Heraklion Greece

Vector Borne and Parasitic Diseases Epidemiology Department National Center for Disease Control and Prevention Ministry of Health Yerevan Armenia

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