Online catalogue of the Coleção de Flebotomíneos (FIOCRUZ/COLFLEB), a biological collection of American sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) held at Fiocruz Minas, Brazil

The “Coleção de Flebotomíneos” (FIOCRUZ/COLFLEB) held at Fiocruz Minas is a curated biological collection comprised of approximately 80,000 individual specimens of 370 species of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) mostly from the Americas collected over the last 80 years by entomologists interested in understanding and controlling the vector-borne disease leishmaniases. Since 2010, the metadata of each of the individual biological specimens held in FIOCRUZ/COLFLEB, including the back catalogue of those deposited in previous decades, has been digitized. Here, our resulting electronic catalogue, containing records for 72,624 of the specimens, including all of the available provenance information associated with each of them, is published online through the speciesLink network <http://www.splink.org.br/search?collectioncode=FIOCRUZ11COLFLEB&group=animais&lang=pt&action=openform> and the Sistema de Informação sobre a Biodiversidade Brasileira (SiBBr) <http://ipt.fiocruz.br/ipt/resource?r=fiocruz_colfleb>.The “Coleção de Flebotomíneos” (FIOCRUZ/COLFLEB) held at Fiocruz Minas is a curated biological collection comprised of approximately 80,000 individual specimens of 370 species of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) mostly from the Americas collected over the last 80 years by entomologists interested in understanding and controlling the vector-borne disease leishmaniases. Since 2010, the metadata of each of the individual biological specimens held in FIOCRUZ/COLFLEB, including the back catalogue of those deposited in previous decades, has been digitized. Here, our resulting electronic catalogue, containing records for 72,624 of the specimens, including all of the available provenance information associated with each of them, is published online through the speciesLink network <http://www.splink.org.br/search?collectioncode=FIOCRUZ11COLFLEB&group=animais&lang=pt&action=openform> and the Sistema de Informação sobre a Biodiversidade Brasileira (SiBBr) <http://ipt.fiocruz.br/ipt/resource?r=fiocruz_colfleb>

Description of a new species, Pintomyia dissimilis nov. sp., a phlebotomine fossil from Dominican Republic amber (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Phlebotomine sandflies are the vectors of etiological agents of leishmaniases in several areas of the world. In the Neotropical Region, the biodiversity of these insects is more than other regions, probably due the long evolutionary period of this group. Miocene amber from Dominican Republic, currently, has a record of 14 extinct species of Phlebotomine sandflies.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This paper describes a new fossil species of phlebotomine sandfly from amber found in Dominican Republic. This new species is based on morphological characters of a male such as 5° palpomere longer than 3° + 4°, three well-developed spines in the gonostyle, lateral lobe longer than gonocoxite and permit inclusion of the new species in the genus <it>Pintomyia</it>, series <it>serrana</it>. The paramere, with a curvature in the ventral margin, of the middle of the structure, separates the new species from the others fossils or extant species.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The new species described in the present study named <it>Pintomyia dissimilis </it>nov. sp. is well differenciated from all known species in this genus.</p

Flebotomíneos (Diptera: Psychodidae) no complexo Parque do Sabiá, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brasil

Between April 2003 and May 2009 phlebotomine sandflies were collected in Parque do Sabiá complex, Uberlândia municipality, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, using CDC and Shannon traps. The objective was to associate the sandfly species captured to the risk of the transmission of leishmaniasis in the municipality. The 126 captured specimens belonging to six species of phlebotomine, among which Lutzomyia (Psychodopygus) davisi (Root, 1934) predominated with 113 specimens (89.7%). The remaining captured species were Lutzomyia (Pintomyia) mamedei Oliveira, Afonso, Dias & Brazil, 1994 - five specimens (3.9%); Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) flaviscutellata (Mangabeira, 1942) - four specimens (3.2%); Lutzomyia lenti (Mangabeira, 1938) - two specimens (1.6%); Brumptomyia avellari (Costa Lima, 1932) - one specimen (0.8%); and Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho, 1939) - one specimen (0.8%). The collection of species that may be involved in the transmission of Leishmania reveals the need for continuous entomological surveillance.Entre abril de 2003 e maio de 2009, realizaram-se capturas de flebotomíneos no complexo Parque do Sabiá, município de Uberlândia, estado de Minas Gerais, utilizando-se armadilhas CDC e de Shannon. O objetivo foi associar as espécies encontradas ao risco de transmissão de leishmanioses no município. Foram capturados 126 exemplares, distribuídos em seis espécies de flebotomíneos. Houve predomínio de Lutzomyia (Psychodopygus) davisi (Root, 1934) com 113 espécimes (89,7%). As demais espécies capturadas foram Lutzomyia (Pintomyia) mamedei (Oliveira, Afonso, Dias & Brazil, 1994) - cinco espécimes (3,9%); Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) flaviscutellata (Mangabeira, 1942) - quatro espécimes (3,2%); Lutzomyia lenti (Mangabeira, 1938) - dois espécimes (1,6%); Brumptomyia avellari (Costa Lima, 1932) - um espécime (0,8%) e Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho, 1939) - um espécime (0,8%). A captura de espécies que podem estar envolvidas na veiculação de Leishmania revela a necessidade de uma vigilância entomológica constante

Information System and Geographic Information System Tools in the Data Analyses of the Control Program for Visceral Leishmaniases from 2006 to 2010 in the Sanitary District of Venda Nova, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The aim of this paper is to report a brief history of control actions for Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) from 2006 to 2010 in the Sanitary District (DS) of Venda Nova, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, focusing on the use of information systems and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools. The analyses showed that the use of an automated database allied with geoprocessing tools may favor control measures of VL, especially with regard to the evaluation of control actions carried out. Descriptive analyses of control measures allowed to evaluating that the information system and GIS tools promoted greater efficiency in making decisions and planning activities. These analyses also pointed to the necessity of new approaches to the control of VL in large urban centers

First inventory of the sandfly fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) in the municipality of Juiz de Fora, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Introduction: This study aimed to inventory the phlebotomine sandfl y fauna present in the urban area of Juiz de Fora, with an emphasis on the genus Lutzomyia. Methods: Capture was performed from March to September 2012, using HP light traps placed at peridomestic sites, in a municipal kennel and a forest biome. Results: A total of 133 specimens were captured, representing eight species of the genus Lutzomyia. Lutzomyia pascalei was the most prevalent species. Conclusions: This research provides an inventory and description of the spatial locations of the phlebotomine sandfl y fauna of Juiz de Fora.

Predicting the geographic distribution of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) and visceral leishmaniasis in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

To understand the geographic distribution of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), Brazil, both the climatic niches of Lutzomyia longipalpis and VL cases were analysed. Distributional data were obtained from 55 of the 79 counties of MS between 2003-2012. Ecological niche models (ENM) of Lu. longipalpis and VL cases were produced using the maximum entropy algorithm based on eight climatic variables. Lu. longipalpis showed a wide distribution in MS. The highest climatic suitability for Lu. longipalpis was observed in southern MS. Temperature seasonality and annual mean precipitation were the variables that most influenced these models. Two areas of high climatic suitability for the occurrence of VL cases were predicted: one near Aquidauana and another encompassing several municipalities in the southeast region of MS. As expected, a large overlap between the models for Lu. longipalpis and VL cases was detected. Northern and northwestern areas of MS were suitable for the occurrence of cases, but did not show high climatic suitability for Lu. longipalpis . ENM of vectors and human cases provided a greater understanding of the geographic distribution of VL in MS, which can be applied to the development of future surveillance strategies