Sand fly vectors (Diptera, Psychodidae) of American visceral leishmaniasis areas in the Atlantic Forest, State of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the sand fly fauna of American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) endemic areas within the Central Atlantic Forest Biodiversity Corridor, State of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil. The sand fly captures were performed between January, 1989 and December, 2003 in localities where autochthonous cases of AVL were recorded, as well as in their boundary areas. Sand flies were collected from surrounding houses and domestic animal shelters using two to five CDC automatic light traps, and manual captures were also performed using mouth aspirators in one illuminated Shannon trap during the first four hours of the night.

Phlebotominae fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) in an urban district of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, endemic for visceral leishmaniasis: characterization of favored locations as determined by spatial analysis.

Belo Horizonte, the capital of the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and the fourth-largest city in the country, has the highest incidence of human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) together with a high prevalence of canine VL. The Northeast Sanitary District (NSD) of Belo Horizonte has the largest historical average of human VL cases in the metropolitan region, and is classified as a priority area for epidemiological and entomological monitoring of the disease. The objectives of the present study were to determine the seasonal variation in phlebotomine fauna and to describe the environmental situations in the NSD through characterization of peri-domiciles and application of geographical information system analysis.

Sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) collected on the banks of the Velhas River in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Leishmaniases are endemic to several Brazilian states, including Minas Gerais. As many cases of these diseases are diagnosed in Minas Gerais every year, this paper aimed to determine the diversity of the species of sandflies vector of leishmaniases, in Lassance and Corinto on the banks of the Velhas River. Over two years, 21,014 specimens of sandflies, belonging to 19 species were captured with light traps.

Description of Micropygomyia brandaoi sp. n. (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), a fossil phlebotomine from the Dominican Republic.

The description of Micropygomyia brandaoi, a new species of fossil phlebotomine sand fly, is based on one male specimen obtained from Dominican amber of the Miocene period (20 million years). In this new species, the fifth palpal segment is long, the coxite lacks a setal tuft and the style shows four well-developed spines. This set of characters allowed us to place the new species in the genus Micropygomyia Barretto.

Description of Pintomyia (Pifanomyia) paleotrichia, a miocene period new species from the Dominican Republic (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae).

A new fossil species of phlebotomine sandflies is described from Dominican amber based in one specimen. Pintomyia (Pifanomyia) paleotrichia sp. nov.

Description of a new phlebotomine species, Evandromyia gaucha sp. nov. (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

The present paper describes a new phlebotomine species, Evandromyia gaucha sp. nov., based on seven females found in the municipality of Caçapava do Sul, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Nyssomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) and Nyssomyia neivai (Pinto, 1926) (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) geographical distribution and epidemiological importance.

Nyssomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva 1912) and N. neivai (Pinto 1926) are possible vectors of tegumentary leishmaniasis in some regions of Brazil. Further, the latter was until recently, considered a junior synonym of the former.

Pintomyia (Pifanomyia) paleotownsendi, a new sand fly from the Miocene amber of Dominican Republic (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae).

Phlebotominae includes some vector species, mainly that of leishmaniases, with a very old host-parasite relationship. Some species fossils of this subfamily have been recently described and this paper presents the description of a new sand fly Pintomyia (Pifanomyia) paleotownsendi sp. nov in amber.

Description of Pintomyia (Pifanomyia) brazilorum sp. nov. a new fossil species from the Dominican Republic (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae).

A sand fly fossil was found in amber; a vegetal resin, which allows all the external phlebotomine structures to be seen. The piece that contains the new species is 14 mm long x 8 mm wide x 3 mm high. All the structures from the head, thorax, and abdomen were examined under the microscope and measured with a calibrated micrometric eyepiece.

Taxonomic revision of phlebotomine sand fly species in the series davisi and panamensis of the subgenus Psychodopygus Mangabeira, 1941 (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae).

Several species of the subgenus Psychodopygus Mangabeira, 1941 are known to be leishmaniosis vectors in Brazil. Some of them are morphologically similar, which makes their identification quite difficult concerning epidemiological studies. The aim of the current work is to study the morphology of adult specimens of the subgenus Psychodopygus, in accordance with the morphological similarity and still taking into account the epidemiological importance of some species.

[Study of the sand flies in American cutaneous leishmaniasis area, in the municipality of Alto Caparaó and Caparaó, Minas Gerais State].

In the period from November of 2000 to November of 2001, a study of sand flies was realized in the municipalities of Alto Caparaó and Caparaó with the objective of determining their seasonal variation, comparing the points of study related to the occurrence of these insects and detecting their ideal environments. Monthly collections were carried out, with Falcão light traps at nine points, four traps per point, in the following environments: of animals shelter, forest (bush), coffee plantation and the external walls of houses. Lutzomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) was the predominant species, and animal shelter the environment with the largest occurrence of sand flies.

Description of Micropygomyia (Silvamyia) echinatopharynx sp. nov. (Diptera: Psychodidae) a new species of phlebotomine sand fly from the state of Tocantins, Brazil.

During a study of the phlebotomines of the Brazilian state of Tocantins, a new species was discovered in Porto Nacional county, here described as Micropygomyia (Silvamyia) echinatopharynx sp. nov. This is only the second species of the subgenus Micropygomyia (Silvamyia) to be described.

Biology of the first generation of a laboratory colony of Nyssomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) and Nyssomyia neivai (Pinto, 1926) (Diptera: Psychodidae).

The phlebotomine sand flies Nyssomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) and Nyssomyia neivai (Pinto, 1926) are very close and may be involved in the transmission of Leishmania spp. Ross, 1903 in Brazil. The biology of the first laboratory-reared generations of these species, descended from insects captured in Além Paraíba (N.

Redescription of Nyssomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) and Nyssomyia neivai (Pinto, 1926) (Diptera: Psychodidae).

The phlebotomine sand flies Nyssomyia intermedia and Nyssomyia neivai are the probable vectors of American tegumentary leishmaniasis in the Southern and Southeastern regions of Brazil. These species form a complex, being difficult to separate between either females or males of the two members based on recognized morphological characteristics. Both N.

[Study of sand flies (Diptera, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) in the urban area of Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil, from 1999 to 2000].

From February 1999 to February 2000, sand flies were captured weekly with CDC light traps at five sites in the urban area of Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. Traps were placed in 11 different ecotopes in the environment (ground level, tree canopies, and forest edge) and the peridomicile (chicken coops and banana trees). A total of 1,245 sand flies were captured, belonging to 28 species: 4 species from genus Brumptomyia Fran a & Parrot, 1921 and 24 from genus Lutzomyia Fran a, 1924.

Description of the female of Sciopemyia servulolimai (Damasceno & Causey) (Diptera: Psychodidae).

The female of Sciopemyia servulolimai (Damasceno & Causey), based on three specimens captured during an epidemiological research project in the state of Cear , Brazil, is described and illustrated for the first time.

Redescription of the male of Lutzomyia lutziana (Costa Lima) and description of the female (Diptera: Psychodidae).

During the course of taxonomic studies of New World phlebotomine sand flies, it was discovered that the female specimen considered to be the female of Lutzomyia lutziana does not belong to this species. A new description of the female of L. lutziana is presented, based on specimens captured in Lassance, State of Minas Gerais, the type locality of the species.