Vertical stratification and development aspects of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in an area of Atlantic Forest tree species in a metropolitan region in northeastern Brazil

Abstract

In the state of Rio Grande do Norte in northeast Brazil, cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) occur mainly in the periurban areas of the city of Natal. Lut�omyia longipalpis Lutz & Neiva 1912 (Diptera: Psychodidae), a vector of Leishmania chagasi (Protozoa: Trypanosomatidae) to humans, is found throughout the state. Flora and fauna influence the distribution of sand fly species, whose horizontal or vertical stratification can be used as a parameter for identifying potential vectors, considering the presence of vertebrate hosts in the area. The purpose of this study was to obtain information about the vertical stratification of phlebotomine sand flies in an endemic area of leishmaniasis in Rio Grande do Norte, and associate it with the presence of other animals in the peridomiciliary environment as well as to analyze, under laboratory conditions, aspects of L. longipalpis reproduction in wild females. The sand flies were captured with light traps hung at different heights in species of Atlantic Forest trees and in a peridomiciliary environment in animal shelters. The traps were placed between 17:30 and 6:00 of the following day, in a peridomiciliary and extradomiciliary area of a forest fragment in both dry and rainy months. In the extradomiciliary environment, the traps were installed at 1, 3 and 5 m above the ground. The biological cycle of L. longipalpis was followed from the eggs of 200 wild females. Specimens of L. lenti, L. walkeri, and L. migonei were captured. The comparison and statistical analysis showed that L. longipalpis is more abundant at a height of 3 m and L. evandroi at 1 m. In the animal shelters (chickens, horses, and armadillos), we captured mainly specimens of L. longipalpis and L. evandroi. The duration of the biological cycle of L. longipalpis was approximately 38 days at a temperature of 28° C.

Ecology of Lutzomyia longipalpis and Lutzomyia migonei in an endemic area for visceral leishmaniasis

“…Considering the high prevalence of canines in the city of Fortaleza, this adaptation process is of concern with regard to the increased interaction among the vector, the domestic reservoir and susceptible individuals, making it challenging to prevent and control this disease. The male-to-female ratio in this study was 1.23 for L. migonei and 1.85 for L. longipalpis, indicating the predominance of males described previously (CASTELLÓN et al 1989;CABANILLAS;CASTELLÓN, 1999;XIMENES et al, 2000;CORTEZ et al, 2007). This could be because males are born earlier than females (CHANIOTIS, 1967) or due to the courtship behavior between males and females (KELLY; DYE, 1997).…”

Ocorrência de flebotomíneos (Diptera: Psychodidae) em matas de galeria no Distrito Federal, Brasil

“…O número de flebotomíneos por armadilha variou de 0 a 74 espécimes. Em relação à distribuição vertical, houve maior frequência e abundância de flebotomíneos ao nível do solo, resultado similar ao observado em outros estudos (ChAniotis et al 1971;AguiAr et al 1985;goMes et al 1987;Cortez et al 2007). Entretanto, na região amazônica, onde a copa das árvores é mais densa, algumas espécies de flebotomíneos como, por exemplo, Psychodopygus davisi (Root) são mais capturadas em alturas acima de 10 metros (diAs-liMA et al 2002).…”

Survey of Leishmania Infantum Chagasi in Wild and Domestic Animals in Urban Area and Atlantic Rainforest Fragment in Northeast, Brazil

“…Entomological surveys conducted in the metropolitan region of Natal demonstrated the predominance of L. longipalpis in urban and peridomestic region [26]. Domestic dogs are an important source of infection for vector in an urban environment and are usually associated with the occurrence of human cases [27,28].…”