▁ 4 0 ° S , ▁but ▁are ▁absent ▁from ▁New ▁Zealand ▁and ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Islands . ▁ ▁Health ▁concerns ▁▁ ▁As ▁sand ▁fly ▁females ▁su ck ▁blood ▁from ▁verte br ate ▁animals , ▁including ▁humans , ▁they ▁can ▁transmit ▁le ish man ias is , ▁ar b ov ir uses ▁and ▁b art on ell osis . ▁ ▁Pre vention ▁of ▁sand ▁fly - bor ne ▁dise ases ▁ ▁Both ▁sand ▁fly ▁sex es ▁are ▁found ▁to ▁consume ▁plant - der ived ▁sugar ▁me als ▁as ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁energy , ▁and ▁certain ▁plants ▁upon ▁which ▁sand ▁f lies ▁feed ▁can ▁short en ▁their ▁life ▁or ▁reduce ▁their ▁capacity ▁for ▁transm itting ▁le ish man ias is . ▁Therefore , ▁the ▁structure ▁of ▁plant ▁communities ▁is ▁found ▁to ▁influence ▁the ▁transmission ▁dynamics ▁of ▁sand ▁fly - bor ne ▁dise ases . ▁▁ ▁A ▁next - gener ation ▁sequ encing ▁( NG S ) – based ▁ass ay ▁for ▁determ ining ▁the ▁source ▁of ▁sand ▁fly ▁plant ▁me als , ▁based ▁upon ▁the ▁ch lor op last ▁DNA ▁gene ▁rib ul ose ▁bis ph osph ate ▁car box yl ase ▁large ▁chain ▁( rb c L ), ▁found ▁the ▁pred ile ction ▁of ▁several ▁sand ▁fly ▁species , ▁vectors ▁of ▁le ish man ias is ▁in ▁different ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁world , ▁prefer ▁feed ing ▁on ▁C ann ab is ▁s ativa . ▁The ▁plant ▁DNA ▁detected ▁in ▁sand ▁f lies ▁was ▁from ▁plant ▁cells ▁dam aged ▁by ▁their ▁mouth parts ▁as ▁they