20.500.12556/RUP-21514 Monitoring of sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) and pathogen screening in Slovenia with habitat suitability modeling Sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) are important vectors of pathogens, including Leishmania parasites and phleboviruses, but their distribution and seasonal activity in Slovenia have not been sufficiently studied. This study presents a comprehensive three-year (2020–2022) surveillance programme aimed at assessing the diversity of sandfly species, their distribution, seasonal dynamics and potential role as vectors of pathogens. A total of 1,240 sandflies were collected at 43 sampling sites across Slovenia, identifying Phlebotomus papatasi, P. neglectus, P. perniciosus and P. mascittii. The highest abundance and species diversity were observed in the Mediterranean and Karst regions. Seasonal activity peaked in July, with population fluctuations influenced by climatic conditions. Molecular analyses for Leishmania parasites and phleboviruses showed no positive results, indicating a low prevalence of pathogens in the sampled populations. Predictive habitat models indicate that environmental factors, particularly temperature and precipitation, play a decisive role in the spread of sandflies. While P. mascittii has the largest ecological range, its vector competence remains uncertain. The results provide important insights into the ecology of sandflies in Slovenia and emphasize the need for continuous surveillance in the context of climate change and emerging vector-borne disease risks. sandflies monitoring distribution modeling Slovenia peščene muhe monitoring razširjenost modeliranje Slovenija true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2025-08-04 15:01:57 2025-08-04 15:01:58 2025-08-05 03:02:40 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2025 0 0 str. 1-10 [article no.] 1603358 Vol. 12 2025 0000-00-00 NiDoloceno NiDoloceno apc 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 2025-07-25 595.77 2297-1769 10.3389/fvets.2025.1603358 244771843 RAZ_Ivovic_Vladimir_2025.pdf RAZ_Ivovic_Vladimir_2025.pdf 1 ED760A86EA960D690D4DFEFBA26618C5 c69652367cfbb6e8ec095648d31ef0321f7da90865f0530a8894489aab36f822 553b5d7e-7133-11f0-8f0b-005056ac49c0 https://repozitorij.upr.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=31283 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2025.1603358/full 1 37249b50-7133-11f0-8f0b-005056ac49c0 https://repozitorij.upr.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=31282 Fakulteta za matematiko, naravoslovje in informacijske tehnologije 0 0 0