Enrique A. Szelag

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) of the province of Chaco, Argentina.

The phlebotomine sandflies of the province of Chaco, Argentina, are poorly known, with reports from more than 40 years or captures related with outbreaks of leishmaniasis. In here, Mycropygomyia peresi (Mangabeira) is reported for the first time in Argentina, extending the known dstribution of Migonemyia migonei (França), Evandromyia sallesi (Galvão & Coutinho), Mycropygomyia quinquefer (Dyar), Brumptomyia brumpti (Larousse) y Nemapalpus spp to the province of Chaco. Mg. migonei, together with Nyssomyia neivai (Pinto), Evandromyia cortelezzii (Brèthes), and Psathyromyia shannoni (Dyar) also captured in Chaco, were incriminated as vectors of Leishmania in Argentina.

Argentinian phlebotomine fauna, new records of Phlebotominae (Diptera: Psychodidae) for the country and the province of Chaco

Sand flies are insects of medical and veterinary importance, because some species are able to transmit several pathogens such as Bartonella spp., Phlebovirus spp., and protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania (Ross). They are widely distributed in the Americas, with recordings ranging from Canada to Argentina. Approximately 500 Phlebotominae species are known in the Americas, of which it is considered that at least 56 are involved in the transmission of leishmaniasis (Maroli et al. 2012). Previous studies have shown that the phlebotomine fauna in Argentina consists of 32 species distributed in 14 provinces (Quintana et al. 2012; Sábio et al. 2015; Salomón et al. 2010). Of these species, Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva), Nyssomyia neivai (Pinto), Ny. whitmani (Antunes & Countinho), Cortelezzii complex [Evandromyia cortelezzii (Brèthes) - Ev. sallesi (Galvão & Coutinho)], Micropygomyia quinquefer (Dyar) and Migonemyia migonei (França) have been found with DNA of Leishmania spp. (Moya et al. 2015). Five new records of species in the province of Chaco, obtained from different projects carried out between 2001 and 2015, four of which are also new records for Argentina, are described in this article. Their importance as potential vectors and the correct determination of the sympatric species is also discussed.

Identification of the natural breeding sites of sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), potential vectors of leishmaniasis, in the province of Chaco, Argentina

The aim of this work was to identify the natural breeding sites of sandflies in the province of Chaco, Argentina, for the first time. Preliminary studies were conducted in two different phytogeographic regions: dry Chaco (Parque Provincial Pampa del Indio), in January 2010, and humid Chaco (Resistencia, Margarita Belén and Colonia Benítez), from May-September 2010. A total of 127 samples were collected (Pampa del Indio: 15, Resistencia: 37, Margarita Belén: 36, Colonia Benítez: 39). A female of Migonemyia migonei was found in Pampa del Indio at the base of a bromeliad in the summer (January) and a pupal exuvium of a phlebotomine fly was found in Resistencia, in a place where dogs rested, in the winter (July). These findings highlighted these two sites as potential breeding sites. Because the existence of potential natural breeding sites for sandflies has been demonstrated in both forest and periurban areas, expanding the search efforts and characterising these sites will enable the development of specific study designs to gain insight into the spatial distribution of the risks posed by these vectors. The resulting information will serve as a basis for proposing and evaluating vector control measures.

Incipient colonisation of Lutzomyia longipalpis in the city of Resistencia, province of Chaco, Argentina (2010-2012)

Lutzomyia longipalpis was recorded for the first time in Argentina in 2004, in the province of Formosa. In the following years, the vector spread to the south and west in the country and was recorded in the province of Chaco in 2010. From November 2010-May 2012, captures of Phlebotominae were made in the city of Resistencia and its surroundings, to monitor the spread and possible colonisation of Lu. longipalpis in the province of Chaco. In this monitoring, Lu. longipalpis was absent in urban sampling sites and its presence was restricted to Barrio de los Pescadores. This suggests that the incipient colonisation observed in 2010 was not followed by continuous installation of vector populations and expansion of their spatial distribution as in other urban centres of Argentina.

Temporal distribution of, and effect of anthropic modifications on, phlebotomine populations in the Chaco Bioregion, Argentina: Distribution of phlebotomine in Chaco

The Phlebotominae (Diptera: Psychodidae) are insects of medical and veterinary importance, because some species are able to transmit pathogens such as Leishmania spp. In the last 20 years, numerous leishmaniasis outbreaks have been reported in the Chaco Bioregion (Argentina), with an increasing trend of cases associated with periurban transmission. The Chaco Bioregion has two sub‐regions according to their climatic and ecological characteristics: the Dry Chaco and the Humid Chaco. In the present study, sandfly captures were performed in both sub‐regions, at sites with different levels of anthropic modifications, with the aim of describing differential spatio‐temporal patterns of potential tegumentary and visceral leishmaniasis vectors. The captures yielded 3559 sandflies of 14 species. Migonemyia migonei (França) was the prevalent species in the Dry Chaco, whereas Mg. migonei and Nyssomyia neivai (Pinto) were co‐dominant in the Humid Chaco. Environmental factors such as degree of anthropic modification and climatic factors were found to modulate both the phlebotomine fauna composition and the diversity and abundance of each species. These factors would increase vector abundances, and thus the transmission risk, during warm months with moderate rainfall, especially in areas with higher anthropic modifications. The co‐dominance patterns observed in transitional areas could contribute to the transmission of leishmaniases.

Considerations on the Species Complex of the Cortelezzii series (Diptera: Psychodidae) and Description of Evandromyia chacuensis sp. nov., a New Phlebotomine Species of the Chaco Region, Argentina

Abstract A new species of phlebotomine sand fly is described and illustrated based on male and female specimens collected in rural and semi-urban areas of the Chaco Province, Argentina. A separation of the Cortelezzii series in two species complexes is proposed, as is a species key for its identification. The morphological characters of the new species permit its inclusion in the Cortelezzii series of genus Evandromyia, subgenus Barrettomyia (Diptera: Psychodidae). The species is named Evandromyia chacuensis sp. nov. Szelag, Rosa, Galati, Andrade Fhilo & Salomón (Diptera: Psychodidae).

WITHDRAWN: Description of a new phlebotomine species from Argentina, Evandromyia chacoensis sp. n. (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae)

A new phlebotomine species, Evandromyia chacoensis, is described based on three females collected in the province of Chaco, Argentina. The morphological characters of the new species allow its inclusion in the genus Evandromyia. Spemathecae present body with superficial striations and the common duct is as long as the genital fork. These characters are similar to those of species belonging to the series rupicola of Evandromyia. Evandromyia chacoensis sp. n. is distinguished from the other species of Evandromyia by having spermatheca body with constriction from the middle towards the apex, and a slightly large apical ring.