1. Intraspecific geographical variability of Phlebotomus perniciosus assessed by MALDI-TOF MS protein profilingVít Dvořák, Carla Maia, Rafael Marmé, José Risueño, Pedro Pérez-Cutillas, Eduardo Berriatua, Julie Sevila, Nalia Mekarnia, Jorian Prudhomme, Fano José Randriananambinintsoa, Vladimir Ivović, Katja Adam, 2026, original scientific article Abstract: Background Matrix‑assisted laser desorption/ionization time‑of‑flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‑TOF MS) pro‑ tein profiling has emerged over the last decade as a method of choice for species identification of many medically important arthropods. However, the influence of intraspecific variability on the performance of this popular technique has seldom been tested. This study provides the first standardized comparison of different geographical popula‑ tions of Phlebotomus perniciosus, a vector of Leishmania infantum and Toscana virus in the western Mediterranean, by MALDI‑TOF MS protein profiling. Methods Phlebotomus perniciosus males were collected in five countries (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Croa‑ tia) that represent most of its distribution in Europe. All samples were trapped, stored and processed according to a highly standardized protocol to avoid effects other than geographical origin on their protein spectra acquired by MALDI‑TOF MS protein profiling. The obtained protein spectra were compared with laboratory‑reared specimens of Ph. perniciosus. Results Twenty‑two analysed specimens from five geographical populations provided protein spectra that were highly similar, species‑specific and clustering according to their quality. No grouping according to geographical origin was observed, and the protein spectra of field‑collected specimens showed similar composition and complexity to spectra from Ph. perniciosus laboratory colony‑reared in captivity for several decades. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that in samples of a same sex, with the same collection method and storage time, MALDI‑TOF MS protein profiling does not reflect the geographical origin of analysed specimens, confirming the value of this technique for high‑fidelity and reproducible species identification of sand flies regardless of their geographical origin.
Keywords: intraspecific geographical variability, Phlebotomus perniciosus, MALDI-TOF
Published in RUP: 29.06.2026; Views: 573; Downloads: 13
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2. Reconstructing the post-glacial spread of the sand fly Phlebotomus mascittii Grassi, 1908 (Diptera: Psychodidae) in EuropeEdwin Kniha, Vít Dvořák, Stephan Koblmüller, Jorian Prudhomme, Vladimir Ivović, Ina Hoxha, Sandra Oerther, Anna Heitmann, Renke Lühken, Anne-Laure Bañuls, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Phlebotominae) are the principal vectors of Leishmania spp. (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae). In Central Europe, Phlebotomus mascittii is the predominant species, but largely understudied. To better understand factors driving its current distribution, we infer patterns of genetic diversity by testing for signals of population expansion based on two mitochondrial genes and model current and past climate and habitat suitability for seven post-glacial maximum periods, taking 19 climatic variables into account. Consequently, we elucidate their connections by environmental-geographical network analysis. Most analyzed populations share a main haplotype tracing back to a single glacial maximum refuge area on the Mediterranean coasts of South France, which is supported by network analysis. The rapid range expansion of Ph. mascittii likely started in the early mid-Holocene epoch until today and its spread possibly followed two routes. The first one was through northern France to Germany and then Belgium, and the second across the Ligurian coast through present-day Slovenia to Austria, toward the northern Balkans. Here we present a combined approach to reveal glacial refugia and post-glacial spread of Ph. mascittii and observed discrepancies between the modelled and the current known distribution might reveal yet overlooked populations and potential further spread.
Keywords: Phlebotomus mascittii, modeling, Europe
Published in RUP: 06.10.2025; Views: 909; Downloads: 8
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3. Direct evidence for an expanded circulation area of the recently identified Balkan virus (Sandfly fever Naples virus species) in several countries of the Balkan archipelagoNazli Ayhan, Bulent Alten, Vladimir Ivović, Vít Dvořák, F. Martinković, Jasmin Omeragić, Jovana Stefanovska, Dusan Petric, Slavica Vaselek, Devrim Baymak, Ozge E. Kasap, Petr Volf, Remi Charrel, 2017, original scientific article Keywords: Bunyaviridae, Phlebovirus, Arbovirus, Toscana virus, meningitis, fever, Sand fly, phlebotomus, phylogeny, emergence
Published in RUP: 30.03.2018; Views: 5156; Downloads: 186
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4. Distribution of sandflies (Diptera, Psychodidae) in two Ionian islands and Northern GreeceKyriaki Xanthopoulou, Vassiliki Anagnostou, Vladimir Ivović, Olgica Djurković-Djaković, Elton Rogozi, Smaragda Sotiraki, Anna Papa, 2011, original scientific article Keywords: sandflies, Phlebotomus spp., Greece
Published in RUP: 15.10.2015; Views: 4594; Downloads: 124
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