“…Little is known about the molecular genetics of this group of sand flies (Esseghir et al, 1997;Ready et al, 1997Ready et al, , 1998Ishikawa et al, 1999). However, studies of the molecular phylogenetics of other arthropod groups suggest that sequence from region I of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene might be informative for clarifying Lutzomyia taxonomy at the species level (Navajas et al, 1994(Navajas et al, , 1996(Navajas et al, , 1998Roderick and Gillespie, 1998). Here, we present a phylogeographical interpretation of L. longipalpis based on molecular phylogenetic analysis using mtDNA and available theories on the historical physical geography of Central and South America (Haffer, 1969;Howe, 1974;Keigwin, 1978;Haffer, 1981;Rod, 1981;Sykes et al, 1982;Stehli and Webb, 1985;Hoorn, 1994;Hoorn et al, 1995).…”