Abstract Londrina is the fourth most populous city in southern Brazil. Its subtropical weather with rain in all seasons, as well as its high population density, make the city perfect for the Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) life cycle. Over the last few years, Londrina presented high infestation indexes and was one of the cities with the most reported cases of dengue. Uncontrolled use of synthetic insecticides may influence the mosquito’s genetic composition. In this paper, we studied mitochondrial DNA and kdr mutations in Aedes aegypti. The analysis of the ND4 gene in 330 specimens showed the presence of 27 haplotypes. The pyrethroid resistance alleles (kdr) evaluated are present in the collected populations, with a 50% frequency of the Val1016Ile and 48% of the Phe1534Cys mutations. Such analysis of the mutations in the populations collected at the State University of Londrina’s campus – a microenvironment that differs from the rest of the city – showed frequencies of 57% and 62%, respectively. The low gene flow observed, Nm = 0.11 and Nm = 0.10, along with the elevated differentiation, Fst = 0.19 and Fst = 0.18, among populations suggest an influence of genetic drift. The strong presence of resistance alleles kdr in the city is evident, which demonstrates that even with the interruption of the use of pyrethroids by the National Dengue Control Program, resistance may be maintained due to domestic use. Thus, the results have shown the need for genetic monitoring, alongside other entomological surveillance monitoring tools, to create strategies of mosquito control.

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of different control agents of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus associated with ovitraps under laboratory and field conditions. Five treatments were used: grass infusion + Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (gI + Bti), grass infusion + Saccharopolyspora spinosa (gI + Ss), grass infusion + Pyriproxyfen (gI + P), distilled water + Toxorhynchites haemorrhoidalis (dW + Th), and grass infusion (gI) (control). The highest mean number of eggs of both species were obtained with grass infusion in the laboratory. Among control agents, the lowest mean of A. aegypti eggs occurred with gI + Ss and the lowest mean of A. albopictus eggs occurred with dW + Th. There was no difference between treatments in A. aegypti (P = 0.4320) and A. albopictus (P = 0.7179). In the field, the highest mean number of eggs for both species were obtained with gI + Ss, and the lowest values were obtained with gI + P (P = 0.0124). The treatments can be applied to both the surveillance and the control, but ovitraps with biological larvicide Bti were more effective and safer considering the number of eggs laid and selectivity of pathogens for mosquitoes.

A fragment of a forest, located in the urban area of Londrina, Paraná, Brazil, was chosen to represent the area for this study. Many Merostachys Spreng, 1824 bamboo, which were naturally perforated and, therefore, ready to retain water, were found in the interior of this forest. Bamboo were collected every fifteen days during field actions. They were then measured and cut meter by meter before their contents were analyzed in the laboratory. A total of 542 specimens from the following species were collected during one year: Sabethes aurescens (Lutz, 1905), Sabethes melanomymphe Dyar, 1924, Sabethes identicus Dyar & Knab, 1907, Wyeomyia rooti (Del Ponte, 1939), Wyeomyia limai Lane & Cerqueira, 1942, Wyeomyia sp., Trichoprosopon pallidiventer (Lutz, 1905), Trichoprosopon humboldti Lane & Cerqueira, 1942, Toxorhynchites sp. e Shannoniana schedocyclium (Dyar & Knab, 1908). Wyeomyia limai and Sabethes aurescens were the most frequently found species. The first specie had the highest population index in february whereas the Sabethes aurescens, had its highest index in july, february and november. The largest number of larvae were obtained in the months of february and march. As for stratification, the greatest quantity of larvae was found at two meters. The specie Wyeomyia limai predominated in all heights, being most abundant at three meters high whereas the Sabethes was most abundant at one meter high. The presence of bamboo in small forest spots in urban areas is enough to host a certain variety of Culicidae of the Sabethini tribe which are considered wild mosquito. These same mosquito, due to their hematophagus habitat, can be hazardous to public health.