Th e cyclopoid copepod fauna of freshwater systems of the Mexican state of Veracruz, on the Gulf coast of Mexico, was completely unknown. During routine surveillance for larval mosquitoes, several types of aquatic habitats, including ephemeral ponds, springs, and bromeliads, were sampled and cyclopoid copepods were taxonomically studied. Five species were identifi ed, among them a new species of the cyclopine genus

An entomological survey was carried out in the municipalities of Juchique de Ferrer and Colipa in the north-central area of the State of Veracruz, Mexico, where some human cutaneous leishmaniasis cases have been recorded. These sampling efforts were undertaken to identify potential vectors of Leishmania species in that area. A total of 123 specimens were obtained, corresponding to one species of the Bruchomyiinae genus Nemapalpus Macquart, and six species of the Phlebotominae genus Lutzomyia França. Additional morphological characters of the poorly known male of Nemapalpus dampfianus Alexander and a description of Lutzomyia leohidalgoi sp. nov., based on male and female characteristics, are presented with illustrations. This is the first record from Veracruz of Nemapalpus dampfianus Alexander, Lutzomyia serrana (Damasceno & Arouck) (species group Verrucarum), Lutzomyia (Psathyromyia) cratifer (Fairchild & Hertig), and Lutzomyia (Helcocyrtomyia) oppidana (Dampf). Lutzomyia (Lutzomyia) cruciata (Coquillett) and L. (Psathyromyia) shannoni (Dyar) are anthropophilic species already known from Veracruz.

Previous records of phlebotomine sand flies from Mexico included 14 species in the state of Veracruz. In this work, new records of some species are given, including four species not previously known to occur in Veracruz and one previously unknown from Mexico. 18 species of Phlebotominae are now known to occur in Veracruz.

Programmes involving mosquito research and surveillance are normally focused on the study of aquatic larval stages, but sampling methods are varied and not systematized, which hinders the comparative analysis of ecological data. A standardized method for assessing the richness and abundance of mosquito larval populations of value for the analysis of mosquito diversity is presented. Based on the study of all the aquatic sites in a one hectare sample area with a proportional number of dips according to the size of the aquatic habitat, comparative data can be obtained on species richness and relative abundance of species found between pairs of sites or in the same area at different times. This technique provides information on the total mosquito fauna at each site, helps recognize species of medical importance and estimates the abundance of each species; parameters that are not estimated by the current entomological indexes used in surveillance programmes. The quality of the inventory is obtained by estimation of the efficiency effort. Procedures for calculating alpha, beta and gamma diversity are presented. The technique was validated in a natural and an urban zone at La Mancha, Veracruz, Mexico, over two years of sampling made during different climatic seasons.

The Afro-Asian freshwater copepod Mesocyclops aspericornis (Daday, 1906), deemed as an exotic species in the Americas, is known to occur disjunctly in Mexico, South America, and the insular Caribbean. Adult females of this species were recorded.from samples collected in the state of Veracruz, on the Atlantic coast of Mexico.The morphology of these specimens is identical in most characters to those described or depicted in previous taxonomic accounts. The 3 known Mexican populations belong to the "western" group of M. aspericornis. The subtle morphological variations among the Mexican populations and their isolation suggest that each could be the result of independent events of dispersion or introduction via aquaculture. This is the third confirmed report of M. aspericornis in Mexico, but the first one in the Atlantic side of Middle America. The states of Tabasco and Chiapas harbour 3 of the 4 species of exotic freshwater copepods known to occur in Mexico.