Temporal Variation in Species Abundance and Richness of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in a Tropical Equatorial Area.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether temperature, rainfall, and humidity influence the annual distribution of Culicoides Latreille 1809, species abundance and richness in rural areas on São Luís Island in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. Biting midges were collected in housing for domestic animals in the peridomestic areas of 10 homes. A CDC light trap was installed in each peridomestic area from 6:00 p.

Ecology of phlebotomines (Diptera, Psychodidae) in rural foci of leishmaniasis in tropical Brazil.

Introduction: This work aimed to study the community structure of sandflies, with regard to the richness, constancy, abundance, and monthly frequency of the species with a focus on the transmission of leishmaniasis.

Methods: The study was conducted in the rural villages of Bom Jardim and Santa Maria, situated on the edge of a tropical rain forest in the municipality of São Jose de Ribamar, Maranhão, Brazil. The phlebotomines were captured in the intradomiciles and peridomiciles of each village, with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) light traps set in 10 homes in each village, for 1 year, once a month, from 18h to 6h.