Registros de altitud de mosquitos anofelinos (Diptera: Culicidae: Anophelinae) del Municipio Gran Sabana, estado Bolívar, Venezuela, y nuevos datos altitudinales de importancia / Altitude records for anopheline mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae: Anophelinae) from the Gran Sabana municipality, Bolivar State, Venezuela, and new relevant altitudinal data

En el presente trabajo se reportan las respectivas altitudes para mosquitos de la tribu Anophelini (Diptera: Culicidae: Anophelinae) del Municipio Gran Sabana, estado Bolívar, Venezuela. Se señalan nuevos registros de altitudes en el país para Chagasia ablusa Harbach, Chagasia bonneae Root y doce especies del género Anopheles. La Gran Sabana cubre una superficie de cerca de 18.000 km², con altitudes que varían de 750 m a 1.450 m. La mayor parte de las tierras altas de la misma, presenta un clima característico de bosques húmedos sub-montanos siempre verdes, con temperaturas promedio anual que oscilan entre 18ºC y 24ºC, con un promedio de precipitación anual entre 2.000 y 3.500 mm, y un corto periodo seco que ocurre entre los meses de Diciembre y Marzo.

Altitude records for mosquitos in the tribe Anophelini (Diptera: Culicidae: Anophelinae) from the Gran Sabana municipality, Bolívar State, Venezuela are reported. New altitude registers include Chagasia ablusa Harbach, Chagasia bonneae Root and 12 species of Anopheles. The Gran Sabana is an undulating grass-dominated upland savanna covering an area close to 18,000 km², with altitudes ranging from 750 m to 1,450 m. Most of the Gran Sabana highlands have a humid submontane climate, with average annual temperatures ranging between 18ºC and 24ºC, and average annual rainfall between 2,000 and 3,500 mm. It has a very short dry season occurring from December to March.

Revisión de la colección del género Chagasia (Diptera: Culicidae) del Museo Entomológico "Dr. Pablo Cova Garcia", Maracay, Venezuela / Revision of the collection of the genus Chagasia (Diptera: Culicidae) of the Entomological Museum "Dr. Pablo Cova Garcia", Maracay, Venezuela

Se revisaron un total de 506 montajes permanentes de diferentes estadios de mosquitos del género Chagasia Cruz de la colección del Museo “Dr. Pablo Cova García”, S.A. Instituto de Altos Estudios “Dr. Arnoldo Gabaldon”, Maracay. Especímenes previamente identificados como Ch. bathana (Dyar) fueron confirmados como Ch. bonnae Root. Se concluye que hasta el presente, al menos en el estado Bolívar, solo están presentes Ch. bonnae y Ch. ablusa Harbach,estando en discusión la presencia de Ch. bathana en Venezuela.

A total of 506 specimens of mosquitoes from the genus Chagasia Cruz housed in the "Dr. Pablo Cova García" Museum at the Instituto de Altos Estudios, Maracay, were examined. Specimens previously identified as Ch. bathana (Dyar) were confirmed as Ch. bonnae Root. We can conclude that, at least in Bolívar State, only Ch. bonnae and Ch. ablusa Harbach are present. The presence of Ch. bathana in Venezuela remains under discussion.

Primer registro de Culex (Carrollia) anduzei Cerqueira & Lane, 1944 en Venezuela y Culex (Melanoconion) dunni Dyar, 1918 en el estado Bolívar / First record of Culex (Carrollia) anduzei Cerqueira & Lane, 1944 in Venezuela and Culex (Melanoconion) dunni Dyar, 1918 in Bolivar state

En este trabajo se señala por primera vez para Venezuela, la presencia de la especie Culex (Carrollia) anduzei Cerqueira & Lane, la cual estaba registrada solamente en Brasil. Con este nuevo registro, su distribución geográfica en América incluye Brasil y Venezuela. Por otro lado, se reporta por primera vez la presencia de la especie Culex (Melanoconion) dunni Dyar en el estado Bolívar, Venezuela. Este es un vector de la Encefalitis Equina Venezolana.

In this work we report for the first time the presence of Culex (Carrollia) anduzei Cerqueira & Lane in Venezuela. With this new record the geographical distribution of this species in America includes Brazil and Venezuela. Also we report for the first time the presence of Culex (Melanoconion) dunni Dyar in Bolívar state, Venezuela. This is a vector of The Venezuelan Equine Encefalitis.

Malaria entomological risk factors in relation to land cover in the Lower Caura River Basin, Venezuela

To explore the effects of deforestation and resulting differences in vegetation and land cover on entomological parameters, such as anopheline species composition, abundance, biting rate, parity and entomological inoculation rate (EIR), three villages were selected in the Lower Caura River Basin, state of Bolívar, Venezuela. All-night mosquito collections were conducted between March 2008-January 2009 using CDC light traps and Mosquito Magnet(r) Liberty Plus. Human landing catches were performed between 06:00 pm-10:00 pm, when anophelines were most active. Four types of vegetation were identified. The Annual Parasite Index was not correlated with the type of vegetation. The least abundantly forested village had the highest anopheline abundance, biting rate and species diversity. Anopheles darlingi and Anopheles nuneztovari were the most abundant species and were collected in all three villages. Both species showed unique biting cycles. The more abundantly forested village of El Palmar reported the highest EIR. The results confirmed previous observations that the impacts of deforestation and resulting changes in vegetation cover on malaria transmission are complex and vary locally.

Primer registro de Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) oswaldoi B y Anopheles (Nys) albitarsis F en la cuenca del río Caura, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela / First record of anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) oswaldoi B y anopheles (Nys) albi-tarsis F from the Caura river basin, Bolívar State, Venezuela

Se registran por primera vez anopheles albitarsis F y anopheles oswaldoi B recolectadas en localidades de los municipios Sucre y Cedeño del estado Bolívar. Los análisis morfométricos de hembras adultas mostraron que los caracteres analizados en las manchas claras y oscuras de la vena Costa del ala y los tarsómeros de las patas posteriores para An. albitarsis F caen dentro de los rangos reportados para An. marajora sensu lato, mientras que para An. oswaldoi B los rangos de variación de los caracteres medidos están dentro del rango reportado para An. oswaldoi s.l., An. oswaldoi sensu stricto de Brasil y An. konderi. Sin embargo, el análisis de ADN mitocondrial (región código de barras, 658 pb) mostró una divergencia genética entre An. oswaldoi B y An. oswaldoi s.s. de 3,2%, mientras entre An. albirtarsis F y An. marajoara s.s. esta fue de 5,2%, valores que están por encima de los limites propuestos para delimitación de especies.

Anopheles albitarsis F and Anopheles oswaldoi B were first recorded from collections in Sucre and Cedeño Municipalities, Bolivar State. Morphometric analysis of dark and pale spots on wing Costa and hind tarsomeres of adult females, showed that the range of variation for An. albitarsis F are within the reported ranges for An. marajoara sensu latu For An. oswaldoi B the range of variation are within the ranges reported for An. oswaldoi s.l., An. oswaldoi sensu stricto from Brazil and An. konderi. DNA mitochondrial analysis (Barcode region 658 bp) showed 3.2% of genetic divergence between An. oswaldoi B and An. oswaldoi s.s., while this divergence was 5.2% between An. albirtarsis F and An. marajoara s.s. Both these values are above the proposed limits for species delimitation.

Primer registro para el estado Aragua de Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus Skuse, 1894 (Diptera: Culicidae) / First record of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus Skuse, 1894 (Diptera: Culicidae) in Aragua state, Venezuela

Ae. (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse) es una especie invasora originaria del sudeste asiático. Está asociada a la transmisión de los 4 serotipos del virus del dengue además de otros arbovirus como la fiebre amarilla y la encefalitis equina venezolana. En este estudio se reporta por primera vez para el estado Aragua la presencia de esta especie, la cual fue colectada en la localidad de Tiara del municipio Santos Michelena. Con este nuevo registro aumenta la distribución geográfica de Aedes albopictus, registrada hasta ahora en Venezuela en Caracas, Distrito Capital, al estado Aragua.

Ae. (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse) is an invasive species native to Southeast Asia. This species is associated with the transmission of the 4 serotypes of dengue virus and other arboviruses such as yellow fever and Venezuelan equine encephalitis. In this note we report for the first time in Aragua state the occurrence of this species, which was collected in the town of Tiara, Santos Michelena County. The new record increases the geographic distribution of Aedes albopictus, which so far was registered in Venezuela only in Caracas, Capital District, to the Aragua State.

Can Mosquito Magnet® substitute for human-landing catches to sample anopheline populations?

The efficiency of the Mosquito Magnet Liberty PlusTM (MMLP) trap was evaluated in comparison to human-landing catches (HLCs) to sample anopheline populations in Jabillal, state of Bolivar, southern Venezuela. The village comprised 37 houses and a population of 101; malaria in this village is primarily due to Plasmodium vivax and the Annual Parasite Index is 316.8 per 1,000 population. A longitudinal study was conducted between June 2008-January 2009 for three nights per month every two months between 17:30 pm-21:30 pm, a time when biting mosquitoes are most active. Anopheles darlingi and Anopheles nuneztovari were the most common species collected by both methods, whereas Anopheles marajoara was more abundant according to the HLC method. The MMLP trap was more efficient for collecting An. nuneztovari [63%, confidence interval (CI): 2.53] than for collecting An. darlingi (31%, CI: 1.57). There were significant correlations (p < 0.01) between the two methods for An. darlingi [Pearson correlation (R²) = 0.65] and An. nuneztovari (R² = 0.48). These preliminary results are encouraging for further investigations of the use of the MMLP trap for monitoring anopheline populations in remote malaria-endemic areas in the Amazon Basin.

Nuevos registros de mosquitos (Diptera Culicidae) para el estado Bolívar, Venezuela: Dos de ellos nuevos para el país / New records of mosquitoes (Diptera Culicidae) for the state of Bolivar, Venezuela: Two of them new to the country

En el presente trabajo se hace referencia por primera vez para el estado Bolívar de diez y nueve especies de mosquitos (Diptera Culicidae), pertenecientes a diez (10) géneros: Anopheles, Chagasia, Culex, Aedes, Mansonia, Coquilletidia, Uranotaenia, Psorophora, Limatus y Wyeomyia, de las subfamilias Anophelinae y Culicinae. Dos de estas especies, son citadas por primera vez para Venezuela: Chagasia bonneae Root, 1927 y Chagasia ablusa Harbach, 2009.

First report of 19 Culicidae species (Diptera: Culicidae) from Bolivar State is made, belonging to 10 genera of Anophelinae and Culicinae: Anopheles, Chagasia, Culex, Aedes, Mansonia, Coquilletidia, Uranotaenia, Psorophora, Limatus and Wyeomyia. Chagasia bonneae Root, 1927 and Chagasia ablusa Harbach, 2009 are reported for the first time in Venezuela.