Phytophagy of Sergentomyia ingrami. II. Feeding performance on selected indigenous and exotic plants

Feeding performances of 3509 male and 4838 female sandflies, Sergentomyia ingrami, fed on 46 native or indigenous and exotic or introduced species belonging to 21 families of plants found in Kenya were examined. The results indicated more feeding on certain families than on others. The most used families were Musaceae, Araceae and Compositae, while the least was Alliaceae. A liking for certain species was also detected in families with more than one species investigated. Generally, the most used species were Bidens pilosa (Compositae) and Lycopersicon esculentum (Solanaceae). Interaction between the sex of the sandflies and the tested plants was minimal, suggesting that in most cases males and females had similar species likings. Sergentomyia ingrami fed more on two of the exotic species investigated.