Mansion (J.). Les Phlebotomes en Corse. [Phlehotoynus in Corsica.] 

 —Bull. Soc. Path. Exot., Paris, vi, no. 9, 12th Nov. 1913, pp. 

 637-641, 1 fig. 



The author says that Leger and Seguinaud identified one or two 

 cases of Pappataci fever, in Corsica, in the summer of 1912, and 

 attributed it to Phlebotomus pappatasii, Scop., on the strength of two 

 specimens captured near Bastia. The author is incHned to doubt the 

 diagnosis of the insect, and on the advice of Leger, studied the ques- 

 tion on the spot during the autumn of 1912, the spring, and the greater 

 part of the summer of 1913, but up to that time without result. No 

 Phlebotomus were captured until the beginning of September. The 

 summer had been very dry and the appearance of these insects coin- 

 cided with the first rains. The author says that he is not sure whether 

 it is possible to estabhsh a relation between the appearance of Phlebo- 

 tomus and the moisture of the air, or whether the individuals captured 

 in September were part of a second simimer generation, the first part 

 of which had escaped his observation. He gives the result of his 

 captures, with the weather conditions day by day from the 11th Sep- 

 tember to the 23rd October, during which tmie he caught 56 males 

 and 19 females. The largest numbers were obtained in his house, 

 which was situated on a hill to the west of Toga, 700 metres from the 

 sea, and about 80 metres above sea-level. The Phlebotomus never 

 entered the house until after sunset. The time during which they 

 might be captured rarely exceeded 50 or 60 minutes, between 5.30 and 

 8.30 in the evening, and they usually rested on the windows. The 

 general result of the author's captures tends to show that the insects 

 are more numerous in warm and damp weather, with a cloudy sky, 

 that is to say, the condition known as sirocco. The strong westerly 

 wind (libeccio), prevents all movements of Diptera, and after 23rd 

 October no more were seen. Only the females, and those in only a 

 few cases, were found to be engorged with blood. The author gives 

 details of the structure of the species captured and points out that the 

 genital forceps of the male, which is very important for determination 

 of the species, has a distinctive structure, sufficient in his opinion to 

 justify its erection into a new species, which he proposes to call P. 

 legeri. He was able to make certain observations on the life of Phlebo- 

 tomus in captivity, and found that the insects lived about 48 hours 

 in dry air and 88 hours in moist air. Attempts to cause either males 

 or females to bite the author, either immediately after capture or 

 after several days of captivity, failed. He was unable to observe 

 copulation, nor did he succeed in causing females carrying ripe eggs 

 to oviposit, and he was also unable to incubate eggs taken from the 

 abdomen. The number of eggs found on dissection averaged 46, 

 with a maximum of 55. All attempts to discover larvae of this species 

 failed. Four members of the author's family presented slight symp- 

 toms of Pappataci fever between 9th and 16th October, and although 

 the author does not feel sure of the diagnosis, he thinks it at least 

 possible that the febrile condition was caused by the bite of some of 

 the flies which he caught and found gorged with blood. Under the 

 conditions observed he regards it as quite easy to avoid the bite of 

 Phlebotomus by shutting all doors and windows just before sunset. 



