Flebotomíneos da Amazônia Central e quatro novos registros para o estado do Amazonas, Brasil. Um levantamento foi conduzido em maio e junho de 2008 para estudar a fauna de insetos da Amazônia Central, Brasil. Como parte desta pesquisa, foram registradas 60 espécies de um total de 13.712 espécimes pertencentes a 13 gêneros. Os locais de coleta localizaram-se na fronteira dos estados do Pará e do Amazonas, incluindo três municípios do estado do Amazonas (Borba, Maués e Nhamundá). Armadilhas do tipo Malaise, CDC e Shannon foram utilizadas para coletar os insetos. A maioria dos flebotomíneos foi coletada em armadilhas CDC (89,5%), enquanto que as armadilhas Malaise e de Shannon coletaram 7% e 3,5%, respectivamente. Os gêneros mais abundantes, representando 97,1% do total de flebotomíneos identificados foram: Trichopygomyia Barretto, 1962 (47,6%), Psathyromyia Barretto, 1962 (17,9%), Psychodopygus Mangabeira, 1941 (17,5%) e Trichophoromyia Barretto, 1962 (14,3%). Os gêneros com o maior número de espécies identificadas foram Psychodopygus (14), Psathyromyia (10), Evandromyia Mangabeira, 1941 (7), Trichophoromyia (5) e Trichopygomyia (5). A espécie mais abundante foi Trichopygomyia trichopyga (Floch & Abonnenc, 1945) a qual representou 29% do total de flebotomíneos identificados. Também são registradas quatro novas espécies para o estado do Amazonas: Ps. complexus (Mangabeira, 1941), Ps. llanosmartinsi Fraiha & Ward, 1980, Ty. pinna (Feliciangeli, Ramirez-Pérez & Ramirez, 1989), e Th. readyi (Ryan, 1986). Os resultados deste estudo fornecem informações novas e adicionais sobre a distribuição de flebotomíneos da Amazônia e aumenta o número de espécies no estado do Amazonas de 127 para 131.

Sand flies from Central Amazonia and four new records for the Amazonas state, Brazil. A survey was conducted in May and June 2008 to study the fauna of insects in Central Amazonia, Brazil. As part of the survey, we report here that sixty species of phlebotomine were identified, totaling 13,712 specimens from 13 genera. The collection sites were located at the border between the states of Pará and Amazonas, comprising three municipalities from the Amazonas state (Borba, Maués, and Nhamundá). Malaise, CDC and Shannon traps were used to collect the insects. Most of the sand flies were collected by CDC traps (89.5%), while Malaise and Shannon traps collected 7% and 3.5%, respectively. The most abundant genera, representing 97.1% of the total sand flies identified were: Trichopygomyia Barretto, 1962 (47.6%), Psathyromyia Barretto, 1962 (17.9%), Psychodopygus Mangabeira, 1941 (17.5%) and Trichophoromyia Barretto, 1962 (14.3%). The genera with the largest number of species identified were: Psychodopygus (14), Psathyromyia (10), Evandromyia Mangabeira, 1941 (7), Trichophoromyia (5) and Trichopygomyia (5). The most abundant species was Trichopygomyia trichopyga (Floch & Abonnenc, 1945), which represented 29% of the total sand flies identified. Here we also report new records for four species in the Amazonas state: Ps. complexus (Mangabeira, 1941), Ps. llanosmartinsi Fraiha & Ward, 1980, Ty. pinna (Feliciangeli, Ramirez-Pérez & Ramirez, 1989), and Th. readyi (Ryan, 1986). The results of this study provide new, additional information on the distribution of sand flies in the Amazon and increase the number of species in the Amazonas state from 127 to 131.

Adult triatomines occasionally fly into artificially lit premises in Amazonia. This can result in Trypanosoma cruzi transmission to humans either by direct contact or via foodstuff contamination, but the frequency of such behaviour has not been quantified. To address this issue, a light-trap was set 45 m above ground in primary rainforest near Manaus, state of Amazonas, Brazil and operated monthly for three consecutive nights over the course of one year (432 trap-hours). The most commonly caught reduviids were triatomines, including 38 Panstrongylus geniculatus, nine Panstrongylus lignarius, three Panstrongylus rufotuberculatus, five Rhodnius robustus, two Rhodnius pictipes, one Rhodnius amazonicus and 17 Eratyrus mucronatus. Males were collected more frequently than females. The only month without any catches was May. Attraction of most of the known local T. cruzi vectors to artificial light sources is common and year-round in the Amazon rainforest, implying that they may often invade premises built near forest edges and thus become involved in disease transmission. Consequently, effective Chagas disease prevention in Amazonia will require integrating entomological surveillance with the currently used epidemiological surveillance.

Lutzomyia georgii n. sp. and the female of L. tarapacaensis in the Series infraspinosa of the subgenus Evandromyia are described, from specimens collected in rainforest in the north of the State of Pará, Brazil. The new species was taken together with five other Evandromyia species including L. infraspinosa (sensu strictu) in the same locality. L. georgii has previously been confused with both L. begonae and L. infraspinosa, whereas L. tarapacaensis would run to L. infraspinosa in recent taxonomic keys. The fact that both L. georgii and L. tarapacaensis are locally sympatric with L. infraspinosa helps to clarify the taxonomic limits of the latter species. New keys to the subgenus Evandromyia are provided.

Forty-six species of Lutzomyia and one species of Brumptomyia were identified among 20,008 sand flies collected in central Amapá. L. squamiventris maripaensis, L. infraspinosa, L. umbratilis and L. ubiquitalis accounted for 66% of the specimens caught in light traps, and L. umbratilis was the commonest of the 16 species found on tree bases. Seven species of Lutzomyia including L. umbratilis were collected in a plantation of Caribbean pine. Sixty out of 511 female sand flies dissected were positive for flagellates. Among the sand flies from which Leishmania was isolated, promastigotes were observed in the salivary glands and foregut of 13 out of 21 females scored as having very heavy infections in the remainder of the gut, reinforcing the idea that salivary gland invasion may be part of the normal life cycle of Leishmania in nature. Salivary gland infections were detected in specimens of L. umbratilis, L. whitmani and L. spathotrichia. Parasites isolated from L. umbratilis, L. whitmani and also from one specimen of L. dendrophyla containing the remains of a bloodmeal, were compatible with Le. guyanensis by morphology and behaviour in hamsters.

Lutzomyia derelicta n. sp. is described from specimens collected in an isolated xeric habitat in the rainforest in the north of the State of Pará, Brazil. The new species lacks the posterior bulge in the dorsal wall of the cibarium characteristic of the New World genus Lutzomyia, and the armature of the male genitalia is of the pattern found elsewhere only in the Old World species of Sergentomyia. L. derelicta is phenetically intermediate between the known species of Lutzomyia and Sergentomyia, and cannot readily be placed in any existing subgenus or species group of either genus.

Thirty-five species of Lutzomyia and two species of Brumptomyia were identified among 795 phlebotomines taken in light-traps near the upper reaches of the middle Rio Negro. The subgenus Psychodopygus predominated in number of species (11) and relative abundance (74-81% in light trap samples from the forest and 99% on human bait). For many of the species these records help to fill large gaps on current maps of distribution, and for others (L. olmeca nociva, L. mangabeirana, L. triacantha) the findings represent a significant expansion of their known range. A new species in the subgenus Psychodopygus (L. douradoi) is described from both sexes, and L. bettinii is recorded for the first time in Brazil.

Adultos de Rhodnius prolixus, R. pictipes e Panstrongylus geniculatus encontrados em casas em Manaus apresentam altas taxas de infecção por Trypanosoma cruzi. Rhodnius spp não apresentavam sazonalidade acentuada, porém os encontros de machos de P. geniculatus eram muito mais freqüentes na estação seca.

Adults of Rhodnius prolixus, R. pictipes and Panstrongylus geniculatus found in houses in Manaus have high rates of Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Rhodnius spp. were found throughout the year, but males of P. geniculatus were significantly more frequent in the dry season.

Comprovou-se o "ataque" de triatomineos silvestres (Rhodnius brethesi) a colhedores de piaçava (Leopoldinia piaçaba), em piaçabal na localidade de Acuquaia, no Rio Padauari, afluente do Rio Negro, no Município de Barcelos, Estado do Amazonas, onde em trabalho anterior verificamos uma prevalência sorológica para anticorpos anti-T. cruzi em 12,5% da população na sede do município, com uma forte associação do contato dessa população com triatomineos silvestres, conhecidos na área como "piolho da piaçava", os quais vivem predominantemente nas piaçabeiras. O "ataque " de triatomineos a populações humanas foi possivelmente o mecanismo inicial de abordagem dos triatomineos ao homem, adaptando-se posteriormente ao seu peridomicílio e domicílio, principalmente em áreas desmaiadas ou de cerrado com poucos reservatórios silvestres. No caso do Amazonas, relatado neste trabalho, os triatomineos estavam provavelmente famintos por escassez de outros animais de sangue quente para sua alimentação.

An "attack" of wild triatomines (Rhodnius brethesi) topiaçaca workers (Leopoldinia piaçaba) is confirmed in the locality of Acuquaia, at Padauari river, affluent of Rio Negro in the municipality of Barcelos, State of Amazonas, Brazil. A serological prevalence of 12.5% for T. cruzi antibodies in human population, in the city of Barcelos, has already been described in a previous paper. A strong association between the serological positivity and the population contact with wild triatomines, known in the area as "piaçava's lice", was verified.

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis foi encontrado, por inoculação de triturado de fígado e baço em hamsters, em 4 de 20 tatus (Dasypus novemcinctus) examinados na região de Tucuruí, Pará. Hamsters inoculados por via intradérmica e peritoneal com o parasito desenvolveram infecções generalizadas e morreram em 1½ a 13 meses. A diagnose do fungo foi confirmada por histopatologia e cultura. Não se observaram sinais macroscópios de doenças nos tatus. A distribuição geográfica de D. novemcinctus abrange a área endêmica de paracoccidioidomicose humana, sugerindo-se que o tatu tenha algum papel na ecologia do fungo.

In spite of an extensive literature on paracoccidioidomycosis, hardly anything is known about the ecology of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis in nature. During 1983, 152 wild animals of 21 species "were examined in a survey designed to detect sylvatic hosts of Leishmania near Tucuruí, a region of tropical rainforest with acid soils, in the State of Pará, northern Brazil. Hamsters inoculated with saline suspensions of liver and spleen from 4 out of 20 Dasypus novemcinctus developed generalized systemic infections after 4 to 13 months, with abundant spherical parasitic structures up to 30 mm indiameter, visible in unstained tissue smears. Inoculation of this material into fresh hamsters, produced lethal infections in within 1½ to 5 months, with gross pathological changes in the viscera and abundant parasites characteristic of P. brasiliensis in stained histological sections. Material from infected tissue grew slowly in Sabouraud Dextrose Agar, forming light-coloured cerebriform colonies approximately 1,5 cm in diameter after 2 months at 22-26ºC. Culture material was inoculated intradermally, intraperitoneally and intratesticularly into hamsters, laboratory mice and guinea pigs. Generalized infections were detected after approximately 5 months in female hamsters that had been inoculated intradermally. The fungus was re-isolated in culture from the infected hamsters. Parasites were detected in histological sections of the liver and spleen of the original armadillos, but no gross signs of disease. were noted in these animals. D. novemcinctus is widely distributed in the Neotropical Region but is absent from certain regions, such as Chile and Patagonia, where paracoccidioidomycosis is unknown. The fossorial habits of this armadillo may be relevant in the light of previous suggestions that the saprophytic phase of P. brasiliensis inhabits a subterranean environment. It is suggested that D. novemcinctus may play a part in the ecology of P. brasiliensis in nature.

Cavernícola lenti, n.sp. é descrita com base em exemplares coletados em uma árvore viva, oca, perto das obras da usina hidrelétrica de Balbina, Estado do Amazonas, Brasil. Incluímos descrições dos adultos e ninfas de primeiro e quinto estádio, e observações sobre a biologia da nova espécie. Salientamos alguns detalhes morfológicos da nova espécie que ampliam os conceitos prévios do gênero e da tribo Cavernicolini. Flagelados encontrados nas fezes de C. lenti foram identificados provisoriamente como parasita de morcegos, Trypanosoma cruzi marinkellei.

Adults and nymphs of Cavernicola lenti, new species, from Amazonas state, Brazil, are described and illustrated. Observations on the biology of the new species are presented. Preliminaty findings indicate that C. lenti is a probable vector of bat trypanosomes.

Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) waltoni m.sp., uma nova espécie de flebótomo é descrita e ilustrada. Observações ecológicas disponíveis são apresentadas. (AU)

Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) waltoni n.sp., a new species of phlebotomine sand fly related to L. Ylephiletor, l. Intermedia and L. Hernandezi, is described and illustrated. Available ecological observations ar presented.

A freqüência de reações cutâneas alérgicas ás picadas de Triatoma infestans após xenodiagnóstico foi determinada numa comunidade rural na qual Panstrongylus megistus é o único vetor doméstico. Urticária focal ou reações cutâneas alérgicas mais intensas foram observadas em 86.7% e em 82.1% dos participantes estudados, respectivamente ás 48 e ás 72 horas. A urticária foi mais severa em crianças e adultos idosos e mais severa em mulheres do que em homens. A alta freqüência das reações sugere a existência de reatividade cutânea ao T. infestans, sem prévia sensibilização, ou uma reatividade cruzada entre P. megistus e T. infestans. A aplicação tópica de pomada de corticosteróide ou de anti-histamínico não reduziu as reações cutâneas alérgicas.

We determined the frequency of cutaneous allergic reactions to bites of Triatoma infestans during xenodiagnosis in a rural community where Panstrongylus megistrus is the only domestic vector of Trypanosoma cruzi. Localized urticaria or more intense cutaneous allergic reactions at 48 and 72 hours were observed in 86.7% and 82.1% respectively of the individuals in our study. Urticaria was more severe in children and older adults and in women than in men. The high frequency of reactions suggests either cutaneous reactivity to T. infestans without prior sensitization or cross reactivity between P. megistus and T. infestans. A single application of topical corticosteroid or antihistamine medication did not reduce the cutaneous reactions.