New records of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) (Diptera: Psychodidae) in the Central East Region of Sao Paulo State, Brazil

Cutaneous (LTA) and Visceral (LVA) American Leishmaniasis incidences are increasing in human and canine hosts, especially LVA, which is expanding its range through Sao Paulo State. Distribution and ecology knowledge of different sand fly species is essential for leishmaniasis epidemiology vigilance. The communication of new findings of its vectors is mandatory for risk determination for transmission of these illnesses. On this study sand flies were trapped in bushed areas, in different localities at rural areas of Ipeuna, Itirapina and Analandia counties, between August and September 2007. A total of 248 specimens of nine different species were sampled in Ipeuna, six and seven specimens of two different species were trapped in Itirapina and Analandia, respectively. The most abundant species in Ipeuna was Pintomyia pessoai (37.5%), followed by Pintomyia fischeri (33.06%) and Migonemyia migonei (16.53%), all three species are considered vectors of LTA in Sao Paulo State. Lutzomyia longipalpis was found in Ipeuna and Analandia for the first time and its presence confirmed in Itirapina, indicating a risk of LVA essablishment in the area and the need for further local studies on its ecology, especially regarding its occupation of the anthropic environment.181626

Theoretical approaches to forensic entomology: II. Mathematical model of larval development

The present study represents the sequence of an overall theoretical approach to model phenomena of interest for forensic entomology. In particular in this paper, a mathematical model that describes the larval development is advanced for blowflies, which are usually the first to find a decomposing corpse. Data on development times for stages and instars of blowflies in experimental conditions have become the baseline information often used to estimate the age of maggots by interpolating these data against on-site conditions. This information on larval development is relevant to estimates of post-mortem interval (PMI) in forensic investigations.122527527

Larval competition for patchy resources in Chrysomya megacephala (Dipt., Calliphoridae): implications of the spatial distribution of immatures

In the present study, a single procedure was established to investigate the effect of the spatial distribution of immatures in patchy resources, on the outcome of larval competition for food. in experimental populations of Chrysomya megacephala. A theoretical model of intraspecific competition was extended and applied to experimental data on survival to adulthood for 20 larval densities, to obtain the theoretical mean number of individuals that will survive, considering a hypothetical previous random adult oviposition in a system of homogeneous patches. The survival curve obtained suggests that the larval competition for food in C. megacephala is of the scramble/exploitative type, which corroborates results from previous studies, although the latter did not consider the correlation between local and global abundances. The present model allows that experimental data could be perfectly applicable, and it incorporates fundamental assumptions about the spatial context of competition for patchy resources in blowflies, and may be applied to the optimization of mass rearing techniques and to the maintenance of insect colonies under experimental conditions.1254192153754

Larval aggregation and competition for food in experimental populations of Chrysomya putoria (Wied.) and Cochliomyia macellaria (F.) (Dipt., Calliphoridae)

In blowflies, larval aggregation in patches of food can be both intra- and interspecific, depending upon the degree to which competitors are clumped among the patches. In the present study, the implications of spatial aggregation for larval competition was investigated in experimental populations of the introduced blowfly Chrysomya putoria and the native Cochliomyia macellaria, using data from survival to adulthood in a range of single- and double-species larval cultures. The reduction in C. macellaria survival rate in the presence of C. putoria suggests that the former species is the inferior competitor. The results on survival to adulthood for both species in single- and double-species cultures can be explained in the light of the relationship between the level of intra- and interspecific aggregation and the efficiency of the larval feeding process. The possible implications of these results for the population biology of both species in natural environments are discussed.123848548