Supplementary file 1_Molecular screening for Wolbachia endosymbionts in phlebotomine sand flies within the North Central Province, Sri Lanka.docx

While biological control using Wolbachia has proven effective against other vector-borne diseases, its potential application in phlebotomine sand flies remains largely unexplored. Therefore, investigating the natural prevalence of these endosymbionts in Sri Lankan sand fly populations is well justified.

To address this knowledge gap and evaluate the feasibility of symbiont-mediated control, we conducted a six-month entomological survey across four endemic sampling areas in the North Central Province. Captured sand flies were morphologically identified at genus level, and 90 females belonging to the genera Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia were screened for Wolbachia using wsp-targeted polymerase chain reaction (PCR). To provide complementary evidence and characterize the broader sand fly-associated bacterial community, high-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was performed on a pooled sample of 25 females.