Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) From the Northwestern Brazilian Amazon: Padauari River.

The mosquito fauna (Culicidae) from remote northern areas of the State of Amazonas were sampled using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Shannon, Malaise, and Suspended traps, together with net sweeping and immature collections. One hundred and seven collections were performed in five localities along the Padauari River, State of Amazonas, Brazil, during June 2010. The 20,557 mosquitoes collected are distributed in 17 genera, representing 117 different species, of which four are new distributional records for the State of Amazonas. Furthermore, there are 10 morphospecies that may represent undescribed new taxa, eight of which are also new records for the State of Amazonas. The genus Culex had the highest number of species and the largest number of individuals. Aedes and Psorophora both represented 10% of the total sample and had the second highest number of species and individuals. The most abundant species was Culex (Melanoconion) gnomatos Sallum, Hutchings & Ferreira, followed by Aedes (Ochlerotatus) fulvus (Wiedemann), Culex (Melanoconion) vaxus Dyar, Culex (Melanoconion) portesi Senevet & Abonnenc, Psorophora (Janthinosoma) amazonica Cerqueira, Culex (Culex) mollis Dyar & Knab, Psorophora (Janthinosoma) albigenu (Peryassú), and Culex (Melanoconion) theobaldi Lutz. The epidemiological and ecological implications of mosquito species found are discussed and are compared with other mosquito inventories from the Amazon region. The results represent the most diverse standardized inventory of mosquitoes along the Padauari River, with the identification of 127 species-level taxa distributed in five localities, within two municipalities (Barcelos and Santa Isabel do Rio Negro).

Mosquitoes of the Jaú National Park and their potential importance in Brazilian Amazonia.

Abstract. An entomological inventory was conducted between 1993 and 1996 to obtain information on the diversity of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Jaú National Park, State of Amazonas, Brazil. A total of 10,159 adult (91%) and immature mosquito specimens, representing 130 taxa (species + morphospecies) in 16 genera, was collected. A species list for the family Culicidae is presented, including 30 new records for the State of Amazonas. The collecting localities were restricted to the alluvial subregion of the Open Tropical Forest found in the park. Most of the specimens (71%) were collected in forest habitats and the rest in areas of second growth and peridomicile. The majority of immature specimens (46%) were collected in bodies of water along the edges of rivers, flooded forests, lakes and streams. Among the various collection methods used, the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and Shannon traps together were responsible for capturing 60% of the adults. More than 90% of the material collected belongs to the genera Culex (65%), Psorophora (19%), Wyeomyia (4%), and Anopheles (3%), which together represent 70% of the identified taxa. The genus Culex presented the largest number of species (45). The species Culex (Melanoconion) vaxus, Cx. (Mel.) pedroi, Psorophora amazonica, Cx. (Mel.) portesi and Cx. (Mel.) theobaldi together (< 4% of the recorded species) represent more than 63% of the material collected and identified to the species level. The most abundant species was Cx. (Mel.) vaxus, representing 17% of the material identified to species. The possible epidemiological and ecological implications of the species hereby recorded in the Jaú National Park are presented and discussed.