RESUMO
Descreve-se a atividade diurna de seis especies de flebotomineos na area urbana de Maringa, Parana. Os espécimes foram coletados durante a atividade de vigilancia entomologica da febre amarela, na margem e interior de mata, com puçá e tubo de vidro contendo algodao e cloroformio, das 6h as 18h, entre junho/2000 e maio/2001, bem como em paredes de residencia e galinheiro, no dia 18/12/2003. Na mata e no ambiente antropico foi capturado um total de 323 femeas, cuja especie predominante foi Ny. whitmani com 93,7 por cento e 92,0 por cento, respectivamente. No ambiente de mata, os flebotomineos foram mais frequentes entre 6h e 12h (97,0 por cento), com pico das 9h às 11h (59,1 por cento), principalmente nas coletas com a presenca de macacos-prego (setembro/2000 e maio/2001), e no ambiente antropico, das 6h as 8h (96,0 por cento). Considerando a importancia de Ny. whitmani na transmissao da leishmaniose tegumentar no Brasil e o seu predominio absoluto na area urbana de Maringa, sobretudo numa localidade com registro de surto de leishmaniose tegumentar, e de se esperar o aparecimento de novos casos da doenca com a possibilidade de transmissao da Leishmania spp ocorrer durante o dia.
The diurnal habits of six species of phlebotomine in the urban area of Maringá, in the State of Paraná, Brazil are described in this study. The specimen were collected during yellow fever surveillance activities, in a forest and at its fringe using an insect net and a glass tube containing cotton and chloroform for a total twelve hours monthly from June 2000 to May 2001, as well as on residences and henhouse walls on December 18th, 2003. A total of 323 females were captured in the forest and anthropic environments, where Ny. whitmani accounted for 93.7 percent and 92.0 percent, respectively. In the forest, the frequency of phlebotomines was higher from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. (97.0 percent), with a peak between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. (59,1 percent), mainly in collections with the presence of non-human primates (September 2000 and May 2001). In the anthropic environment, the highest frequency was from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. (96.0 percent). Considering the role of Ny. whitmani as an important vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Brazil and the overwhelming predominance of that sandfly in the urban area of Maringá, where a cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) outbreak has been reported, new cases of CL may occur and the Leishmania spp may be transmitted even during the day.