Vertical stratification and development aspects of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in an area of Atlantic Forest tree species in a metropolitan region in northeastern Brazil

InthestateofRioGrandedoNorteinnortheastBrazil,�casesofvisceralleishmaniasis�(VL)�occurmainlyinthe� periurbanareasofthecityofNatal.�Lutomyia longipalpisLutz�&�Neiva�1912�(Diptera:�Psychodidae),�avectorofLeishmania chagasi�(Protozoa:�Trypanosomatidae)�tohumans,�isfoundthroughoutthestate.�Floraandfaunainfluencethedistribution� ofsandflyspecies,�whosehorizontalorverticalstratificationcanbeusedasaparameterforidentifyingpotentialvectors,� consideringthepresenceofvertebratehostsinthearea.� Thepurposeofthisstudywastoobtaininformationaboutthe� verticalstratificationofphlebotominesandfliesinanendemicareaofleishmaniasisinRioGrandedoNorte,�andassociate� itwiththepresenceofotheranimalsintheperidomiciliaryenvironmentaswellastoanalyze,�underlaboratoryconditions,� aspectsofL. longipalpis reproductionin wildfemales.�Thesandflieswerecapturedwithlighttrapshungatdifferentheights� inspeciesofAtlanticForesttreesandinaperidomiciliaryenvironmentinanimalshelters.�Thetrapswereplacedbetween� 17:30�and�6:00�ofthefollowingday,�inaperidomiciliaryandextradomiciliaryareaofaforestfragmentinbothdryand� rainymonths.�Intheextradomiciliaryenvironment,�thetrapswereinstalledat�1,�3�and�5�mabovetheground.�Thebiological� cycleofL. longipalpiswasfollowedfromtheeggsof�200�wildfemales.�SpecimensofL. lenti,�L. walkeri,�andL. migoneiwere� captured.�ThecomparisonandstatisticalanalysisshowedthatL. longipalpisismoreabundantataheightof�3�mandL. evandroi at�1�m.�Intheanimalshelters�(chickens,�horses,�andarmadillos),�wecapturedmainlyspecimensofL. longipalpis andL. evandroi.�ThedurationofthebiologicalcycleofL. longipalpiswasapproximately�38�daysatatemperatureof�28°�C.�