Given the significance of leishmaniasis as a neglected parasitic disease-ranking second in mortality and fourth in morbidity among vector-borne diseases-and the prominence of the Mediterranean and Middle East regions as key areas for leishmaniasis incidence, the study and precise morphological identification of sand flies, the proven vectors of the disease, is crucial. Unfortunately, despite this importance, there are few reliable references or identification keys for the morphological identification of sand flies in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions. Some are outdated and no longer valid or remain local (restricted to a country). To date, no comprehensive study has been conducted on the sand fly fauna and their morphological characterization across these regions. In response to this gap, we present a comprehensive pictorial identification key for male and female Phlebotomus species of Middle East and Mediterranean areas. The key includes 720 selected photos and illustrations demonstrating discriminative morphological features out of 2,000 collected. Furthermore, a collection including descriptive morphological criteria of sand flies, first description of Phlebotomus species, a comprehensive checklist of Phlebotomus species accompanied by their distribution map across Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries, as well as extensive information on their morphometry, ecology, medical relevance, synonymy, atypical forms and morphology of female Adlerius species are given. Finally, we provide an online pictorial dichotomous key to facilitate field application.

Département de Parasitologie Mycologie Université Montpellier 1 et CHRU de Montpellier Centre National de Référence des Leishmanioses Montpellier France

Department of Parasitology Faculty of Science Charles University Prague Czechia

Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Medicine Lancaster University Lancaster UK

Faculté de Pharmacie Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne SFR Cap Santé UR ESCAPE USC ANSES PETARD Reims France

Institut de Recherche Pour le Développement Montpellier University InterTryp GoInsEct Global Infectiology and Entomology research group 34032 Montpellier France

Institut de Recherche Pour le Développement Montpellier University MIVEGEC 34032 Montpellier France

Institute of Parasitology Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences Ceske Budejovice Czechia

Istituto Superiore di Sanità Viale Regina Elena 299 00161 Rome Italy

Laboratoire de Parasitologie Mycologie Centre Hospitalo Universitaire pôle de Biologie territoriale 51092 Reims France

Laboratory of Eco epidemiology Parasitic Population Genetics Pasteur Institute of Algiers Algiers Algeria

LBCVRN Faculty of Sciences Dhar Lmahraz University Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah Fez Morocco

Parasitology Mycology Department Avicenne Hospital AP HP 125 route de Stalingrad 93009 Bobigny cedex France

Unit of Vector Borne Diseases Department of Infectious Diseases Istituto Superiore di Sanità Viale Regina Elena 299 00161 Rome Italy

Unité des Virus Émergents Marseille France

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