Complex ecological interactions across a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Eastern Colombia: novel description of species, hosts and phlebotomine fauna.

This study aimed to analyse the patterns of diversity, blood sources and species of phlebotomines in a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Arboledas, Eastern Colombia. In total, 1729 phlebotomines were captured in two localities (62.3% Siravita and 37.7% Cinera) and five environments of Norte de Santander. We identified 18 species of phlebotomines: (29.8%), (20.3%), (18.5%) and (15.8%) showed the highest abundance. Species diversities were compared between Cinera (15.00) and Siravita (20.00) and among five microenvironments: forest remnants (19.49), coffee plantations (12.5), grassland (12.99), cane plantations (11.66) and citrus plantations (12.22). DNA was detected in 5.8% (80/1380) of females, corresponding mainly to . (22/80; 27.2%), . (17/80; 21.3%) and . (11/80; 13.8%). species were 63.1% , 18.5% . , 13.2% . and 6.1% . . The most frequent feeding sources were (50%), (13.8%) and (10.3%). This focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis has a high diversity of -carrying phlebotomines that feed on domestic animals. The transmission of leishmaniasis to human hosts was mainly associated with . , . and . .