Carlos Brisola Marcondes

A PROPOSAL OF GENERIC AND SUBGENERIC ABBREVIATIONS FOR PHLEBOTOMINE SANDFLIES (DIPTERA: PSYCHODIDAE: PHLEBOTOMINAE) OF THE WORLD

ABSTRACT The systematics of Phlebotomine sandflies has been studied and discussed since the beginning of the 20th century, and many systems have been proposed. Complex and well-based systems, dividing Phlebotominae in many genera and subgenera, proposed for Old and New World species, have been progressively understood and accepted by the workers in the subfamily. Due to its complex nature, a system of abbreviations, similar to that utilized for Culicidae, is proposed here for these groups of Phlebotominae. It uses two letters for genera and three for subgenera.

Zika virus in Brazil and the danger of infestation by Aedes (Stegomyia) mosquitoes

Zika virus, already widely distributed in Africa and Asia, was recently reported in two Northeastern Brazilian: State of Bahia and State of Rio Grande do Norte, and one Southeastern: State of São Paulo. This finding adds a potentially noxious virus to a list of several other viruses that are widely transmitted by Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti and Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus in Brazil. The pathology and epidemiology, including the distribution and vectors associated with Zika virus, are reviewed. This review is focused on viruses transmitted by Aedes (Stegomyia) mosquitoes, including dengue, Chikungunya, Zika, Mayaro, and yellow fever virus, to emphasize the risks of occurrence for these arboviruses in Brazil and neighboring countries. Other species of Aedes (Stegomyia) are discussed, emphasizing their involvement in arbovirus transmission and the possibility of adaptation to environments modified by human activities and introduction in Brazil.

A Redescription of Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) intermedia (Lutz & Neiva, 1912), and Resurrection of L. neivai (Pinto, 1926) (Diptera, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae)

Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) intermedia (Lutz & Neiva) is redescribed, a neotype is designated, and a very similar species, L. (N.) neivai (Pinto, 1926), is resurrected; the male and the female are redescribed. The two species can be differentiated by differences in the spermathecae, common ducts and number of cibarial horizontal teeth of the females and in the size and proportions of several structures of both sexes. The known geographical distribution of both species is given.

Distribuição geográfica de flebotomíneos do complexo Lutzomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) (Diptera, Psychodidae)

The geographical distribution of Phlebotomine sandflies of the Lutzomyia intermedia complex is presented, based in collections for this study and in personal informations from other workers and bibliography. The subject is discussed, in relation to climate and to altitude and latitude. Lutzomyia intermedia s.s. was found in smaller altitudes and latitudes than Lutzomyia neivai; the last species seems to be better adapted to colder and drier climates than the first.

Avaliação da eficiência de deltametrina (K-othrine CE) no controle de Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae), no município de Santa Rita, Paraíba, Brasil

Deltamethrin in emulsion concentrate was applied in doses of 12.5, 25.0 and 50.0mg/m2, in households near the littoral of the State of Paraiba, where sporadic cases of visceral leishmaniasis were reported. There was a remarkable decrease in populations of several arthropods, including Lutzomyia longipalpis. This insect, however, was found again in some treated walls, 14 and 21 days after spraying. Statistical analysis indicated significant control for onfy two four-weeks periods, with extreme irregularity in the quantity captured.

Natural infection of Nyssomyia neivai (Pinto, 1926) (Diptera: Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) by Leishmania (Viannia) spp. in Brazil.

A study of the natural infection of phlebotomine sand flies by Leishmania (Viannia) was conducted in a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Piçarras, on the northeastern coast of the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. In total, 562 female Nyssomyia neivai were collected by miniature light traps near houses, separated in 61 pools and examined by PCR and Southern blot hybridization. Eight pools, four of them from the same light trap/night, were positive. This is the first finding of natural infection by Le. braziliensis of adequately identified Ny. neivai in Brazil. In this preliminary observation we observed the abundance and predominance of Ny. neivai among the captured phlebotomine species (98.5%), indicating that Ny. neivai may be the dominant vector of Leishmania in the subgenus Viannia in this area.

Ecology of phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera, Psychodidae) in Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

The phlebotomine sandfly fauna of a primary forest reserve at Morretes (eastern Paraná State) was studied, using CDC-like light traps, one night per month, at canopy and ground level, between April 1995 and March 1996. A total of 3,106 insects were collected, identified as belonging to nine species. Lutzomyia ayrozai and Lu.geniculata were predominant, seven other species also being present. Monthly mean temperature, rainfall and the temperature of the collection night significantly influenced the numbers of Lu. ayrozai while the two first factors influenced the numbers of Lu. geniculata, besides the collected quantities of females of the two species. The influence of the factors on Lu. ayrozai numbers was more immediate than in those of Lu. geniculata. Numbers of both species and of the females of Lu. geniculata collected in different seasons, but not at the different heights, varied significantly. Differences between the behaviour of Lu. ayrozai in Morretes and in other regions could be attributed to environmental differences and/or to regional variations in the species, which could constitute species complexes. Hourly variations of collections were different in the species and seasons.

Mosquitos antropofílicos de atividade matutina em Mata Atlântica, Florianópolis, SC

Previous studies on Culicidae in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, were limited to Anophelinae and Culex quinquefasciatus due to the past occurrence of malaria and filariasis but the mosquito fauna in forested areas is still almost unknown. It was carried out a survey of mosquitoes with morning biting activity in a tourist trekking trail of an Atlantic forest reserve area in the island of Santa Catarina. There were collected 358 specimens of 22 species, 14 of them reported for the first time in the state. Runchomyia reversa and Ochlerotatus scapularis were the predominant species. There was a great diversity of Wyeomyia (Phoniomyia) species.

First report of Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) umbratilis Ward & Frahia, 1977 outside of Amazonian Region, in Recife, State of Pernambuco, Brazil (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae)

Lutzomyia umbratilis, a known vector of Leishmania guyanensis in the north of Amazon basin, has been exclusively found in the Amazonian region. Here we report for the first time the occurrence of this species in northeastern Brazil. The epidemiological importance of the occurrence of this species in the Atlantic Forest is commented.

Distinction of males of the Lutzomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) species complex by ratios between dimensions and by an artificial neural network (Diptera: Psychodidae, Phlebotominae)

The females of the two species of the Lutzomyia intermedia complex can be easily distinguished, but the males of each species are quite similar. The ratios between the extra-genital and the genital structures of L. neivai are larger than those of L. intermedia s. s., according to ANOVA. An artificial neural network was trained with a set of 300 examples, randomly taken from a sample of 358 individuals. The input vectors consisted of several ratios between some structures of each insect. The model was tested on the remaining 58 insects, 56 of which (96.6%) were correctly identified. This ratio of success can be considered remarkable if one takes into account the difficulty of attaining comparable results using traditional statistical techniques.