Abstract INTRODUCTION: We aimed to study intraspecific variation in Triatoma costalimai, a potential vector of Chagas disease present in Brazil and Bolivia. METHODS: We analyzed phenotypic (connexivum color patterns, wing morphometrics) and genetic variation (16S mtDNA) of three Brazilian T. costalimai populations. We compared 16S sequences with those of putative Bolivian T. costalimai and its sister species, T. jatai. RESULTS: Brazilian populations had different connexivum color patterns and forewing shapes. A 16S mtDNA haplotype network showed a clear separation of Brazilian T. costalimai from both T. jatai and Bolivian T. costalimai. CONCLUSIONS: We report considerable variability in T. costalimai populations.

Abstract INTRODUCTION This study confirms the occurrence of Psammolestes tertius Lent & Jurberg, 1965 (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae) in the state of Paraná, Brazil. METHODS: In 2002, a male specimen of P. tertius was collected in the municipality of Porto Rico, Paraná, Brazil. RESULTS: This finding adds to the data on the geographical distribution of P. tertius from 14 to 15 known occurrences in Brazilian states and, therefore, reports the increase in the diversity of triatomines in Paraná. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of P. tertius in the state of Paraná demonstrates that the biodiversity of these insects may have been underestimated.

ABSTRACT This note reports on occurrences of triatomine species in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, registered between 1988 and 2017. Records of triatomines captured in Sao Paulo are based on specimens received spontaneously from Health Surveillance Centers, Health Centers and Zoonosis Control Centers in the city as well as from citizens. Species were identified morphologically at the Public Health Entomology Laboratory, Faculty of Public Health, University of Sao Paulo, where the triatomines, which are vectors of Chagas disease, were tested for Trypanosoma cruzi infection. The first reported occurrence of triatomine bugs in urban Sao Paulo was in 1988. The specimen, which was captured in Jardim Sao Luiz district, was from the genus Panstrongylus and was registered as Panstrongylus sp. but was not sexed. Since this first recorded occurrence, the following species have been found in the city: Panstrongylus geniculatus (2 occurrences), P. megistus (15 occurrences), Triatoma infestans (1 occurrence) and T. sordida (3 occurrences). In this paper, the importance of reporting occurrences of triatomine bugs in the city of Sao Paulo, one of the largest metropolis in the world, is discussed with an emphasis on P. megistus. The occurrences discussed here indicate the importance of entomological surveillance for these vectors even in urban centers although the possibility of vector transmission of Chagas disease in these centers is very low.

ABSTRACT This article reports a list with 912 specimens of the subfamily Triatominae deposited in the Entomological Collection of the Faculty of Public Health of the University of Sao Paulo. The collection is composed of 1 holotype, 3 alotypes, 15 paralectotypes, 77 paratypes, distributed in 5 tribes and 12 genera: Tribus Alberprosenini: genus Alberprosenia Martinez & Carcavallo, 1977; Tribus Bolboderini: genus Microtriatoma Prosen & Martinez, 1952; Tribus Cavernicolini: genus Cavernicola Barber, 1937; Tribus Rhodnini: genus Psammolestes Bergroth, 1941; genus Rhodnius Stal, 1859; Tribus Triatomini: genus Dipetalogaster Usinger 1939; genus Eratyrus Stal 1859; genus Hermanlentia Jurberg & Galvão, 1997; genus Linshcosteus Distant, 1904; 1944; genus Panstrongylus Berg 1879; genus Paratriatoma Barber 1938; genus Triatoma Laporte 1833.

Resumo Parques urbanos do município de São Paulo contêm remanescentes de Mata Atlântica. No sul da cidade há 30 parques municipais, sendo os parques Santo Dias e Shangrila alvos deste estudo. Este estudo teve a proposta de levantamento da fauna de culicídeos desses dois parques no sul da cidade de São Paulo e avaliar a presença de potenciais bioindicadores e espécies vetoras de patógenos aos seres humanos. Os mosquitos foram coletados mensalmente entre março de 2011 e fevereiro de 2012, com aspiradores, armadilhas de Shannon e CDCs para mosquitos adultos e conchas entomológicas e bombas manuais de sucção para os imaturos. O esforço amostral foi avaliado por traçar uma curva de acumulação de espécies, e a riqueza total foi estimada pelo método jackknife de primeira ordem. Para comparar a diversidade entre os dois parques, foram calculados os índices de diversidade de Shannon e de Simpson. A similaridade na composição de espécies foi comparada pelo índice de similaridade de Sorensen. Foram coletados um total de 8.850 espécimes de culicídeos em ambos os parques. Coletas no parque Santo Dias renderam 1.577 mosquitos adultos e 658 imaturos, distribuídos em sete gêneros (Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, Limatus, Mansonia, Toxorhynchites e Wyeomyia) e 27 unidades taxonômicas: Culex nigripalpus, e Aedes fluviatilis foram as mais abundantes unidades taxonômicas coletadas como adultos, enquanto em formas imaturas, as espécies mais abundantes coletadas foram Cx. imitator, Wy. davisi, Wy. galvaoi e Ae. albopictus. Coletas no parque Shangrilá renderam 4.952 espécimes como adultos e 1.663 formas imaturas, distribuídas em oito gêneros (Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, Limatus, Mansonia, Toxorhynchites, Uranotaenia e Wyeomyia) e 36 unidades taxonômicas.. As curvas de acúmulo de espécies em ambos os parques ficaram perto da assíntota, e as estimativas de riqueza total foram próximas às riquezas observadas. Apesar da riqueza observada ter sido maior no parque Shangrilá, não houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre os índices de diversidade mensurados. Em relação à composição de espécies os dois locais compartilharam 16 espécies, incluindo as de maior importância epidemiológica como Culex nigripalpus, Cx. quinquefasciatus, Aedes albopictus e Ae. aegypti. Alguns táxons de culicídeos são bioindicadores de condições ambientais nas áreas ou possuem potencial para veicular patógenos. Atenção deve ser dada a parques urbanos, com inclusão destes locais nos programas oficiais de vigilância entomológica e investigações periódicas na circulação de arbovírus.

Abstract Many parks in the city of São Paulo contain remnants of Atlantic Forest. Of the 30 municipal parks in the South of the city, we investigated two in this study (Santo Dias Park and Shangrilá Park) in order to survey their mosquito fauna and investigate the presence of potential bioindicators of environmental conditions and vectors of human pathogens. Mosquitoes were collected monthly between March 2011 and February 2012 using aspirators, Shannon and CDC traps for adult mosquitoes and larval dippers and suction samplers for immature forms. Sampling effort was evaluated by plotting a species accumulation curve, and total richness was estimated using the first-order jackknife. To compare the diversity between the two parks Shannon and Simpson diversity indexes were calculated. Species similarity was compared by the Sorensen similarity index. In all, 8,850 specimens were sampled in both parks. Collections in Santo Dias Park yielded 1,577 adult mosquitoes and 658 immature individuals distributed in seven genera (Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, Limatus, Mansonia, Toxorhynchites and Wyeomyia) and 27 taxonomic units. Among the adult mosquitoes collected, Culex nigripalpus .and Aedes fluviatilis were the most abundant, while the most abundant immature forms were Cx. imitator, Wy. davisi, Wy. galvaoi and Ae. albopictus. Collections in Shangrilá Park yielded 4,952 adult specimens and 1,663 immature forms distributed in eight genera (Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, Limatus, Mansonia, Toxorhynchites, Uranotaenia and Wyeomyia) and 36 taxonomic units. Species accumulation curves in both parks were close to the asymptote, and the total richness estimate was close to the observed richness. Although the observed species richness was higher in the Shangrilá Park, there was no statistically significant difference between the diversity indexes measured. Regarding species composition, the two sites shared 16 species, including those of epidemiological importance such as Culex nigripalpus, Cx. quinquefasciatus, Aedes albopictus and Ae. aegypti. As some of the mosquito taxa found are bioindicators of environmental conditions and have epidemiological potential to carry pathogens, we recommend that urban parks should be included in official mosquito surveillance programs, and regular surveys carried out to detect circulating arboviruses.

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: To characterize Trypanosoma cruzi (TcI) isolated from a Panstrongylus megistus specimen found in one of the biggest metropolitan areas of Latin America, the relationship between the TcI group of T. cruzi and the transmission cycle in the urban environment was studied. METHODS: The T. cruzi strain, Pm, was isolated in a culture medium from the evolutionary forms present in the hindgut of a live male specimen of P. megistus found in the Jabaquara subway in São Paulo City. The sample from the triatomine showed trypomastigote forms of Trypanosomatidae, which were inoculated in the peritoneum of Balb/c mice. The sample was then inoculated in Liver Infusion Tryptose medium and J774 cells for the molecular identification and characterization of the parasite. The Pm strain of T. cruzi was identified by isolation in axenic culture medium, and based on the morphology, cell infection, growth kinetics, and molecular characterization. RESULTS: After isolation, the protozoan was identified as T. cruzi. No parasites were detected in the peripheral blood of the animal, which can be a characteristic inherent to the strain of T. cruzi that was isolated. Cell invasion assays were performed in triplicate in the J774 cell line to confirm the invasive ability of the Pm strain and revealed amastigote forms of the parasite within macrophages. CONCLUSIONS: Our biological and molecular characterizations helped understand parasite-host interactions and their evolutionary history in context of the associations between vectors, ecotopes, hosts, and groups of the parasite.

Diante da escassez de informações sobre mosquitos (Diptera: Culicidae) na cidade de São Paulo, foi proposto um projeto para estudar esse grupo de insetos nas áreas verdes representadas pelos parques municipais da cidade. Foram investigados 35 desses parques distribuídos nas regiões sul, norte e centro-oeste da cidade, entre outubro de 2010 e fevereiro de 2011 em período diurno. Os imaturos foram coletados dos criadouros por meio de conchas entomológicas e bomba de sucção e os adultos foram capturados em seus abrigos por aspirador elétrico (bateria de 12V). A identificação e catalogação de espécimes foram feitas no Laboratório de Entomologia da Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo. Nesta primeira fase do projeto, coletou-se um total de 5.129 espécimes distribuídos em 11 gêneros e 41 categorias taxonômicas. Culex (Cux.) quinquefasciatus foi a espécie mais abundante. O gênero Aedes foi representado principalmente por Ae. (Och.) fluviatilis e Ae. (Ste.) albopictus. Ae. (Ste.) aegypti e Ae. (Och.)scapularis também foram frequentes em alguns parques. Os demais gêneros apresentaram-se pouco abundantes. Dos parques, 25,7% apresentaram mais de dez grupos, com destaque para o Anhanguera com 26; em contrapartida, 57,1% apresentaram cinco ou menos grupos. Apesar da pressão antrópica sobre esses ambientes, diversas espécies de culicídeos se utilizam destes habitats para a manutenção e refúgio de suas populações. É recomendado que estes ambientes estejam sob constante vigilância epidemiológica, visto que algumas das espécies coletadas possuem importância em saúde pública como vetoras de patógenos à população humana.

Given the scarcity of information on mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in the city of São Paulo, led the authors to propose a project to investigate this group of insects in some of the green areas, represented by municipal parks. The captures were undertaken in 35 municipal parks in the south, north and central-west of the city, between October 2010 and February 2011, during daylight. Immature forms were collected from breeding places with entomological ladles and suction pumps and adults from resting places with electric aspirators (12V battery). The identification of the specimens was undertaken in the Culicid laboratory of the Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo. In this first phase of the project, a total of 5,129 specimens distributed in 11 genera and 41 taxonomic categories were captured. Culex (Cux) quinquefasciatus was the most abundant species. The genus Aedes was represented mainly by Ae. (Och) fluviatilis and Ae. (Ste) albopictus. Ae. (Ste) aegypti and Ae. (Och) scapularis were frequent in some parks. Other genera were less abundant. Of the parks investigated, 25.7% presented more than ten groups of species, notably the Anhanguera with 26; on the other hand, 57.1% had five or fewer groups. Despite the anthropic pressure on these environments, several culicid species make use of these habitats as refuges. It is recommended that these environments be kept under constant epidemiological surveillance as some of the species collected constitute public health threats as pathogen vectors to the human population.

Foram analisadas seqüências de nucleotídeos do gene 16S do rDNA mitocondrial em 14 populações de triatomíneos mantidos em colônias no insetário SESA de Araraquara- SP, comparando-as com seqüências do mesmo gene disponíveis no GenBank. Os fragmentos variaram de 311 a 317 pb com baixa variação intra-específica entre as distâncias genéticas (0% a 0,6%), exceto para os relacionamentos entre espécimes de Triatoma sordida (1%) e espécimes de T. brasiliensis (1,3%) atribuídos a populações geográficas diferentes. A parafilia de Rhodniini e do gênero Panstrongylus foi evidenciada pelas analises, confirmando resultados anteriores entre estes e os estreitos relacionamentos de R. prolixus com R. robustus e de T. infestans e T. platensis. O relacionamento entre T. maculata e T. pseudomaculata não foi solucionado, uma vez que, esses táxons apareceram tanto em monofilia quanto em parafilia: T. pseudomaculata (SESA) está agrupado com T. maculata (seqüência do GenBank) e associados a T . brasiliensis (SESA), enquanto T. maculata (SESA) aparece agrupado com T. pseudomaculata do SESA e do GenBank. Os resultados evidenciam a utilidade do gene 16S como marcador de espécies de triatomíneos e sua importância em questões de sistemática e taxonomia. Há necessidade de novos estudos envolvendo outros marcadores associados a caracteres sistemáticos clássicos de morfologia, ecologia e comportamento para decisões sistemáticas adequadas uma vez, que teriam impacto não apenas sistemático mas, para as estratégias de controle.

Nucleotide sequences of mitocondrial 16S rDNA gene were analyzed in 14 populations of triatomine bugs from colonies maintained by SESA, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil, comparing them with sequences of same gene found in the GenBank. The fragments varied from 311 to 317 bp, with low intra-specific genetic distance (0% to 0.6%), with exception of the relationship among Triatoma sordida specimens (1%) and T. brasiliensis specimens (1.3%) that were attributed to different geographical populations. The paraphily of Rhodniini and Panstrongylus genus was evidenced by this analyses, confirming previous results between these and the narrow relationships of R. prolixus with R. robustus and of T. infestans with T. platensis. The relationship between T. maculata and T. pseudomaculata has not been resolved, since these taxa appeared both in monophyly and as in paraphyly: T. pseudomaculata (SESA) is grouped with T. maculata (sequence of GenBank) and the associated T. brasiliensis (SESA), while T. maculata (SESA) appears grouped with T. pseudomaculata of SESA and GenBank. The results evidence the utility of the gene 16S as molecular marker in the species of triatomine bugs and its importance in systematic and taxonomy questions. There is a necessity of new studies including new molecular markers associated with classic systematic characters of morphology, ecology and behavior to adjust systematic decisions since those will be not of only systematic impact but, for new strategies of control.