Mosquito community composition in dynamic landscapes from the Atlantic Forest biome (Diptera, Culicidae)

Mosquito community composition in dynamic landscapes from the Atlantic Forest biome (Diptera, Culicidae). Considering that some species of Culicidae are vectors of pathogens, both the knowledge of the diversity of the mosquito fauna and how some environment factors influence in it, are important subjects. In order to address the composition of Culicidae species in a forest reserve in southern Atlantic Forest, we compared biotic and abiotic environmental determinants and how they were associated with the occurrence of species between sunset and sunrise. The level of conservation of the area was also considered. The investigation was carried out at Reserva Natural do Morro da Mina, in Antonina, state of Paraná, Brazil. We performed sixteen mosquito collections employing Shannon traps at three-hour intervals, from July 2008 to June 2009. The characterization of the area was determined using ecological indices of diversity, evenness, dominance and similarity. We compared the frequency of specimens with abiotic variables, i.e., temperature, relative humidity and pluviosity. Seven thousand four hundred ten mosquito females were captured. They belong to 48 species of 12 genera. The most abundant genera were Anopheles, Culex, Coquillettidia, Aedes and Runchomyia. Among the species, the most abundant was Anopheles cruzii, the primary vector of Plasmodium spp. in the Atlantic Forest. Results of the analyses showed that the abiotic variables we tested did not influence the occurrence of species, although certain values suggested that there was an optimum range for the occurrence of culicid species. It was possible to detect the presence of species of Culicidae with different epidemiologic profiles and habitat preference.

Sand Fly Fauna (Diptera, Pcychodidae, Phlebotominae) in DifferentLeishmaniasis- Endemic Areas of Ecuador, Surveyed by Using a Newly Named Mini-Shannon Trap

To study the sand fly fauna, surveys were performed atfour different leishmaniasis-endemic areas of Ecuador, during February 2013 andApril 2014. The conventional Shannon trap was modified and simplified to anewly named mini-Shannon trap for its multiple uses at different study sites,such as limited, forested and narrow spaces. The mini-Shannon, CDC light trapsand the protected human landing method were employed for sand fly collection.The species identification of sand flies was performed mainly based on themorphology of spermathecae and cibarium, after dissection of freshsamples.  In this study, therefore, onlyfemale samples were used for analysis. A total of1,480 female sand flies belonging to 25<i> Lutzomyia</i> species were collected. Numbers of the female sand fliescollected by each trap were 417 (28.2%) by the mini-Shannon trap, 259 (17.5%)by CDC light trap and 804 (54.3%) by human landing. The total number of sand flies per trap collected bydifferent methods was markedly affected by study sites, probably because ofdifferent species compositions at each locality. Further, as an additionalstudy, the attractiveness of sand flies against the mini-Shannon traps poweredwith LED White-light and LED Black-light, waspreliminary tested, together with CDC light trap and human landing. In the test,a total of 426 sand flies of nine <i>Lutzomyia</i> species, seven man-biting and two non-man-biting species, were collected by threecapture trials during May and June 2014 in an area endemic for leishmaniasis(La Ventura). The Black-light equipped trap was relatively superior in capturenumbers to the White-light equipped one, but no significant difference wasobserved statistically between the two traps.

Sand Fly Fauna (Diptera, Pcychodidae, Phlebotominae) in Different Leishmaniasis-Endemic Areas of Ecuador, Surveyed Using a Newly Named Mini-Shannon Trap

To study the sand fly fauna, surveys were performed at four different leishmaniasis-endemic sites in Ecuador from February 2013 to April 2014. A modified and simplified version of the conventional Shannon trap was named “mini-Shannon trap” and put to multiple uses at the different study sites in limited, forested and narrow spaces. The mini-Shannon, CDC light trap and protected human landing method were employed for sand fly collection. The species identification of sand flies was performed mainly based on the morphology of spermathecae and cibarium, after dissection of fresh samples. In this study, therefore, only female samples were used for analysis. A total of 1,480 female sand flies belonging to 25 <i>Lutzomyia</i> species were collected. The number of female sand flies collected was 417 (28.2%) using the mini-Shannon trap, 259 (17.5%) using the CDC light trap and 804 (54.3%) by human landing. The total number of sand flies per trap collected by the different methods was markedly affected by the study site, probably because of the various composition of species at each locality. Furthermore, as an additional study, the attraction of sand flies to mini-Shannon traps powered with LED white-light and LED black-light was investigated preliminarily, together with the CDC light trap and human landing. As a result, a total of 426 sand flies of nine <i>Lutzomyia</i> species, including seven man-biting and two non-biting species, were collected during three capture trials in May and June 2014 in an area endemic for leishmaniasis (La Ventura). The black-light proved relatively superior to the white-light with regard to capture numbers, but no significant statistical difference was observed between the two traps.

Comparison of capture methods for the diagnosis of adult anopheline populations from State of Mato Grosso, Brazil / Comparação de métodos de captura para o diagnóstico da população de anofelinos adultos do Estado de Mato Grosso

INTRODUCTION: The present study compares human landing catches of primary malaria vectors with two alternative methods of capture: the Shannon trap and the Mosquito magnet. METHODS: This study used regression models to adjust capture data to a negative binominal distribution. RESULTS: Capture numbers and relative percentages obtained from the three methods vary strongly between species. The highest overall captures were obtained for Anopheles triannulatus with captures for the Shannon trap and the Mosquito magnet measuring more than 330 percent higher than captures obtained by human landings. For Anopheles darlingi, captures by the Shannon trap and the Mosquito magnet were about 14 percent and 26 percent of human landing catches, respectively. Another species with malaria transmission potential that was not sampled by human landing captures weascaptured by the Shannon trap and the Mosquito magnet (Anopheles oswaldoi). Both alternative sampling techniques can predict the human landing of Anopheles triannulatus, but without proportionality. Models for Anopheles darlingi counts, after totaling daily captures, are significant and proportional, but prediction models are more reliable when using the Shannon trap compared with the Mosquito magnet captures. CONCLUSIONS: These alternative capture methods can be partially recommended for the substitution of human landing captures or, at least, as complementary forms of monitoring for malarial mosquitoes.

INTRODUÇÃO: O presente estudo compara a captura através da isca humana dos principais vetores da malária, com dois métodos alternativos de captura, a armadilha luminosa de Shannon e a armadilha Mosquito magnet. MÉTODOS: O presente estudo utiliza modelos de regressão para ajustar os dados obtidos para uma distribuição binomial negativa. RESULTADOS: Os números e as proporções relativas obtidas nos três métodos variaram fortemente entre as espécies. A maior densidade capturada foi de Anopheles triannulatus, através das armadilhas de Shannon e do Mosquito magnet sendo mais de 330 por cento superior que a obtida pela captura por isca humana. Para Anopheles darlingi, capturas com a armadilha de Shannon e com o Mosquito magnet representaram cerca de 14 por cento e 26 por cento, respectivamente, em comparação com a captura através da isca humana. Outras espécies com potencial de transmissão da malária não foram capturadas com a utilização da isca humana, mas foram coletadas na armadilha de Shannon e no Mosquito magnet (Anopheles oswaldoi). Ambas as técnicas alternativas de captura, podem predizer significativamente a captura através da isca humana de Anopheles triannulatus, porém sem proporcionalidade. Os números previstos para o Anopheles darlingi, após a contagem total da captura diária, são significativos e proporcionais, mas a previsão é mais confiável para a armadilha de Shannon que para o Mosquito magnet. CONCLUSÕES: A comparação de métodos alternativos de captura pode ser parcialmente recomendada para a substituição da captura através da isca humana ou, pelo menos, como uma forma complementar de coleta de mosquitos.