Flebotomíneos (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) no município de Estrela e primeiro registro de Lutzomyia pascalei (Coutinho & Barretto) no Rio Grande do Sul

Sand flies are dipterans whose females need blood feeding for egg development, and therefore are important in the transmission of disease-causing agents such as bartoneloses, arboviruses and leishmaniasis to humans and several other vertebrates. The aim of this study was to inventory the sand flies present in an urban expansion area in the county of Estrela, Rio Grande do Sul, highlighting the relevant species in cycle of the cutaneous leishmaniasis. Collections were made from September 2007 to April 2008. To capture insects CDC light traps were simultaneously used in domestic, peridomestic and forest areas. A total of 74 sand flies belonging to nine species were collected:  Brumptomyia cunhai, B. nitzulescui, Lutzomyia edwardsi, L. fischeri, L. lanei, L. migonei, L. misionensis, L. neivai and L. pascalei. The most frequent species with epidemiological importance were L. neivai and L. fischeri. Lutzomyia pascalei (Coutinho & Barretto) is recorded for the first time in Rio Grande do Sul.Flebotomíneos são dípteros cujas fêmeas necessitam de sangue para o desenvolvimento de ovos e, por isso são importantes na transmissão de agentes causadores de doenças tais como bartoneloses, arboviroses e leishmanioses à espécie humana e a diversos outros vertebrados. O objetivo deste estudo foi inventariar os flebotomíneos presentes em uma área de expansão urbana no município de Estrela, Rio Grande do Sul, destacando as espécies relevantes no ciclo da Leishmaniose Tegumentar Americana. As coletas foram feitas no período de setembro de 2007 a abril de 2008. Para a captura dos insetos, foi utilizada uma armadilha luminosa do tipo CDC no domicílio, peridomicílio e mata, simultaneamente. Foram coletados 74 flebotomíneos pertencentes a nove espécies: Brumptomyia cunhai, B. nitzulescui, Lutzomyia edwardsi, L. fischeri, L. lanei, L. migonei, L. misionensis, L. neivai e L. pascalei.  As espécies mais freqüentes e com importância epidemiológica foram L. neivai e L. fischeri. Destaca-se o primeiro registro de Lutzomyia pascalei para o Rio Grande do Sul

Occurrence and distribution of Panstrongylus megistus (Burmeister, 1835) (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) in a metropolitan area of Southern Brazil

Two triatomine genera (Panstrongylus and Triatoma) have essentially been recorded in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Panstrongylus megistus should be highlighted since this species is one of the main vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi in Brazil, due to its wide geographical distribution and the high susceptibility to this protozoan. This study aimed to present not only the occurrence and distribution of P. megistus in the Porto Alegre city’s metropolitan area (PAMA), Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, but also the rates of T. cruzi infection, from 2009 to 2020. The PAMA, which comprises 34 cities and 4.4 million habitants, extends across the transition area in two biomes – Pampa and Mata Atlantica – found in the state. Results showed that P. megistus was recorded in 76.5% of cities (i.e., 26 out of 34), mainly in Porto Alegre city, where the vector was found in 11 out of the 12 years that were monitored. Three hundred and nineteen specimens were captured. Two hundred and sixty-seven specimens (83.7%) were located intradomicile (p < 0.0001), while 52.3% positivity for T. cruzi was found. Thus, P. megistus is important in the PAMA, because it invades and colonizes the households. Moreover, the high rates of T. cruzi infection have drawn attention

Flebotomíneos (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) no município de Estrela e primeiro registro de Lutzomyia pascalei (Coutinho & Barretto) no Rio Grande do Sul

Sand flies are dipterans whose females need blood feeding for egg development, and therefore are important in the transmission of disease-causing agents such as bartoneloses, arboviruses and leishmaniasis to humans and several other vertebrates. The aim of this study was to inventory the sand flies present in an urban expansion area in the county of Estrela, Rio Grande do Sul, highlighting the relevant species in cycle of the cutaneous leishmaniasis. Collections were made from September 2007 to April 2008. To capture insects CDC light traps were simultaneously used in domestic, peridomestic and forest areas. A total of 74 sand flies belonging to nine species were collected:  Brumptomyia cunhai, B. nitzulescui, Lutzomyia edwardsi, L. fischeri, L. lanei, L. migonei, L. misionensis, L. neivai and L. pascalei. The most frequent species with epidemiological importance were L. neivai and L. fischeri. Lutzomyia pascalei (Coutinho & Barretto) is recorded for the first time in Rio Grande do Sul.Flebotomíneos são dípteros cujas fêmeas necessitam de sangue para o desenvolvimento de ovos e, por isso são importantes na transmissão de agentes causadores de doenças tais como bartoneloses, arboviroses e leishmanioses à espécie humana e a diversos outros vertebrados. O objetivo deste estudo foi inventariar os flebotomíneos presentes em uma área de expansão urbana no município de Estrela, Rio Grande do Sul, destacando as espécies relevantes no ciclo da Leishmaniose Tegumentar Americana. As coletas foram feitas no período de setembro de 2007 a abril de 2008. Para a captura dos insetos, foi utilizada uma armadilha luminosa do tipo CDC no domicílio, peridomicílio e mata, simultaneamente. Foram coletados 74 flebotomíneos pertencentes a nove espécies: Brumptomyia cunhai, B. nitzulescui, Lutzomyia edwardsi, L. fischeri, L. lanei, L. migonei, L. misionensis, L. neivai e L. pascalei.  As espécies mais freqüentes e com importância epidemiológica foram L. neivai e L. fischeri. Destaca-se o primeiro registro de Lutzomyia pascalei para o Rio Grande do Sul

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. The new species belong to rupicola series and differs from other sand flies of the genus Evandromyia due to the presence of a rounded spermatheca head with its size very close to that of the spermatheca body

The first report of the main vector of visceral leishmaniasis in America, Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva) (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a widespread zoonosis in Brazil and, up to now, there has been no record of the main vector of its agent, Lutzomyia longipalpis , in the Southern Region. Due to the diagnosis of VL in a dog in October 2008 in the city of São Borja, in the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, a collection of phlebotomines was undertaken to detect the presence of the vector Lu. longipalpis. The captures were carried out with CDC light traps on three consecutive nights in 2008. A total of 39 specimens of Lu. longipalpis were captured, thereby increasing the knowledge of the geographical distribution of this important vector