sand fly
noun
variants
or sandfly
plural sand flies or sandflies
: any of various small biting dipteran flies (especially genus Phlebotomus of the family Psychodidae) see also sandfly fever
Examples of sand fly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Insects like mosquitoes, fleas, fire ants, sand flies, and biting midges can transmit bacterial, viral, or parasitic diseases.
—
Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 2 Sep. 2025
No-see-ums, also known as biting midges or sand flies, are small flies that bite humans and animals, sucking blood, per Purdue University Extension.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 15 July 2025
Bangladesh made history in 2023 as the first country anywhere to eliminate kala-azar, otherwise known as visceral leishmaniasis, a disease transmitted by sand flies that is 95% fatal when left untreated.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 2 May 2024
The afternoon was too hot to do much of anything except avoid the sand flies and wait for sunset.
—Andrew Weil, Harper's Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023
The genetic evidence suggests the disease is being spread by local sand fly populations.
—Simon Makin, Scientific American, 19 Oct. 2023
Decisions on whether to euthanize the dog can be made guided by weighing factors like where the dog is from and the likelihood of local sand flies which might transmit the parasite.
—Alexander Tin, CBS News, 19 Oct. 2023
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Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 2 Sep. 2025
No-see-ums, also known as biting midges or sand flies, are small flies that bite humans and animals, sucking blood, per Purdue University Extension.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 15 July 2025
Bangladesh made history in 2023 as the first country anywhere to eliminate kala-azar, otherwise known as visceral leishmaniasis, a disease transmitted by sand flies that is 95% fatal when left untreated.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 2 May 2024
The afternoon was too hot to do much of anything except avoid the sand flies and wait for sunset.
—Andrew Weil, Harper's Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023
The genetic evidence suggests the disease is being spread by local sand fly populations.
—Simon Makin, Scientific American, 19 Oct. 2023
Decisions on whether to euthanize the dog can be made guided by weighing factors like where the dog is from and the likelihood of local sand flies which might transmit the parasite.
—Alexander Tin, CBS News, 19 Oct. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Sand fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sand%20fly. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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