Laboratory reared sandflies (Diptera:Psychodidae) and studies on phleboviruses.

Virus-vector relationship of two Pleboviruses, Toscana and Arbia viruses, were studied in laboratory reared sandflies of the species Plebotomus perniciosus which is implicated as natural vector of both viruses. Two techniques of infection were used: intrathoracic inoculation and membrane feeding. This paper reports the growth characteristics and the frequency of transovarial and venereal transmission among P. perniciosus experimentally infected with the two viruses.