Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 11 1 2017 04 18 139 146 EN Kamel Eddine Benallal Laboratoire d’Eco-Epidémiologie Parasitaire et Génétique des Populations, Institut Pasteur d’Algérie, Algeria Razika Benikhlef Laboratoire d’Eco-Epidémiologie Parasitaire et Génétique des Populations, Institut Pasteur d’Algérie, Algeria Rafik Garni Laboratoire d’Eco-Epidémiologie Parasitaire et Génétique des Populations, Institut Pasteur d’Algérie, Algeria Brahim Gassen Direction de la Santé Publique de Tamanrasset, Algeria Jean-Pierre Dedet Université Montpellier 1 et CHRU de Montpellier, Centre National de Référence des Leishmanioses, Département de Parasitologie-Mycologie, France Zoubir Harrat Laboratoire d’Eco-Epidémiologie Parasitaire et Génétique des Populations, Institut Pasteur d’Algérie, Algeria 2016 07 02 2016 07 02 Background: Phlebotomus perniciosus and Phlebotomus longicuspis are two phlebotomine sand fly species morphologically similar and differing in males only by the shape of the copulatory valves which are bifurcated in P. perniciosus, tip long and tapered in P. longicuspis. Methods: A count of the median coxite setae was carried out on 208 specimens from the collections of Dedet and of Parrot, identified previously as P. longicuspis and on 38 P. perniciosus male sand flies captured during the year 2012–2013, in order to seek the presence of atypical P. perniciosus form. Results: The analysis revealed the presence of 33/246 (13%) atypical P. perniciosus previously confused with P. longicuspis species and whose distribution is mainly located in the semi-arid and arid bioclimatic regions. Conclusion: This study proved for the first time the presence of atypical form of P. perniciosus in Algeria. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/493 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/493/324