Sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) Of The Chaco Province, Argentina

ROSA JR; SZELAG EA; ANDRADE FILHO JD; CARVALHO GM; STEIN M; PEÇANHA BRAZIL R

Lima, Perú

Simposio; 6th International Symposium On Phlebotomine Sandflies; 2008

American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ACL) is endemic with occasional epidemics in northern Argentina´s provinces, including Chaco. As the last Phlebotomine there were reported before the´óOs, this work aim was to update the sandfly diversity and distribution in the Dry and Wet phytogeographical regions of Chaco province. From 2001 to 2007 in Dry Chaco [Misión Nueva Pompeya (24°55´S, 61°30W)] and Wet Chaco [Margarita Belén (27°10´S,58°50,W) and Resistencia (27°26´S,58°54´W)] were made regular captures twice a month with CDC light traps (19.00 to 07.00h) in domestic, peridomestic and the forest. Eight species were captured: Lutzomyia neivai, L. cortelezzii, L. shannohi, L. migonei, L. sallesi, L. quinquefer, L. peresi, L. chacoensis and Brumptomyia brumpti. The last six species were fírst records for Chaco province. L. sordellii reported once in 1953 wasn´t found in this study. L. neivai prevailed in the Wet Chaco in peridomicile and forest, but it was the less abundant in the dry región. L. migonei reported as the second in abundance in most Argentinian regions, in Dry Chaco was the fírst in all biotopes. L. cortelezzii, also suspected as vector in Argentina, was captured in all ecotones together with L. sallesi. L. quinquefer, limited to the eastern Paranaense región was found in the Wet Chaco in peridomestic and forest environments. L. peresi was captured in houses and the forest in Dry Chaco and it was the fírst report in Argentina and its southernmost record. L. chacoensis was a new American species, found in the Dry Chaco, in forest captures. In conclusión the sandfly fauna of Chaco province is composed by nine species including L. sordellii historical records. Based on their abundance and the literature the suspected vectors of ACL were L. migonei and L. neivai in the Wet Chaco, and L. migonei and L. cortelezzii in the Dry Chaco.