Studies on the sand fly fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in wild areas inhabited by howler monkeys in the northeast of Argentina

MARTINEZ, MARIELA; SANTINI, MARIA S; KOWALEWSKI, M MARTIN; BERROZPE, PABLO; SALOMON, DANIEL

Porto das Galhinas

Congreso; 5th World Congress on Leishmaniasis; 2013

Sociedad Brasilera de Medicina Tropical

In Argentina Leishmania braziliensis has been identified as the main agent causing cutaneous leishmaniasis. Although the reservoir of L. braziliensis has not been identified yet, as no animal meets all the criteria required to be defined as such, horses, cats, canids and rodents are susceptible to infection. In this country, the Phlebotominae sand flies Nyssomyia neivai, Ny. whitmani, and Migonemia migonei have been confirmed as the most frequent vectors of L. braziliensis. In rural houses situated near our study area 7 sand fly species had been recorded: Lutzomyia longipalpis, Ny. neivai, Brumptomyia sp., Mg. migonei, Ny. whitmani, Evandromyia cortelezi-salessi, and Psathyromyia shannoni. The goal of this study is to describe the Phlebotominaes species present in wild areas inhabited by howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya), and asses if community composition of sand flies depends on the height above the ground. Samples were collected in February 2012 in a locality of northeastern Argentina (27º3´S, 58º41?O). Sand fly traps (CDC-type minitraps) were placed at 10 howler-monkey sleeping sites separated by 1,5km on average, and spanning a total area of 14km2. Traps were hung at 1,5m (low) and 7m (high) above the ground in each sleeping site and set on for two consecutive nights. The specimens were cleared with lacto-phenol and identified with the aid of a microscope. A total of 626 sand flies were collected from the low traps, belonging to six species: Ny. neivai (46,2%), Brumptomyia sp. (33,7%), Mg. migonei (19,2%), Ny. whitmani (0,48%), Ev. cortelezi-salessi (0,32%), and Psa. shannoni (0,16%). A total of 252 sand flies were collected from the ?high? traps, representing five species: Ny. neivai (41,7%), Mg. migonei (35,3%), Brumptomyia sp. (20,2%), Ny. whitmani (1,6%), and Psa. shannoni (1,2%). The abundance of the different sand fly species was influenced by the height above the ground (X2= 38,35; p-value < 0,0001). All the species of sand flies captured from the wild environment in this study, were also recorded along this region in the domestic environment in a previous survey. No specimen of Lu. longipalpis was obtained in the wild, whereas this species was frequently recorded in domestic habitats in this region. The sand fly females occurring at upper heights may be using howler monkeys as food sources. Therefore, A. caraya might act as a reservoir host of leishmanias or, at least, as a population amplifier of its vectors in the wild environment.