Studies on sandfly fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a foci of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Mesquita, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

Lutzomyia intermedia was the predominant species. It was collected indoors but in much higher numbers outdoors, in the close vicinity of houses. In comparative captures it was found to feed more frequently on equines, and less frequently on man and dogs. Studies, using man and animals as baits, showed that blood-feeding started in the evening, and remained stable during the night, until early morning. June, August and October were the months of highest density.

Análise faunística dos helmintos de pardais (Passer domesticus L., 1758) capturados em Campo Grande, Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Sparrows captured in Campo Grande, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, were examined through necropsy and the helmints found were identified. The prevalence, intensity of infection and the habitat of each helminth species found are showed. An analysis of the helminth fauna using the importance value of the species collected indicated that in the sparrow the dominant species are: Leucochloridium parcum, Tanaisia inopina, Choanotaenia passerina, Dispharynx nasuta and Tetrameres minima; and the co-dominant species are: Echinostoma revolutum, Eumegacetes mediximus and Mediorhynchus papillosus. According to the host specificity were classified as specialist species: L. parcum, T. inopina, C. passerina and T. minima; and as generalist species: E. revolutum, E. medioximus, D. nasuta and M. papillosus. Echinostoma revolutum was found for the first time in P. domesticus. The species E. medioximus , T. minima and D. nasuta were found for the first time in the sparrow in Brazil. The species C. passerina and M. papillosus were found for the first time in Brazil, expanding their distribution to the Neotropical region.

Contribuição para o conhecimento do gênero Dimecoenia Cresson, 1916: V. Sobre uma espécie nova do Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Diptera: Ephydridae)

New species of several speciemens of several specimens from Rio de Janeiro county, caught on the Spinosa platensis microalgae breeding in the concret thanks is described.

Capture of Caliptrate flies with different breeding substrates on beaches in Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

Muscidae flies belonging to four Familia and 13 species in a total number of 3.652 specimens were collected from beaches at Ilha do Governador, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil using different breeding substrates, and subsequently bred in the laboratory. Captures were done from April to November 1989, using in a first phase different substrates: fruits (banana and papaya), vegtable (tomato), animal viscera (bovine liver), marine animals (fish, crab, shrimp, squid), mouse carcass and feaces (human and canine). The species collected more often were: Fannia sp. (subgroup pusio), Chrysomya megacephala, Phaenicia eximia, Synthesiomyia nudiseta, Peckya chrysostoma, Musca domestica and Atherigona orientalis. In a later phase, only fish was used, as bait and placed directly on the beach sand. From a total of 189 pupae, the following adult specimen were obtained: Peckia chrysostoma (58.06%), Chrysomya megacephala (30.64%) and in lesser numbers Synthesiomyia nudiseta and Phaenicia eximia.

Schistosomiasis in a low prevalence area: incomplete urbanization increasing risk of infection in Paracambi, RJ, Brazil

The risk of schistosomiais infection and heavy infection in the locality of Sabugo was evaluated in relation to housing in areas with different urbanization development and to residential supply with snail-infested water. Critical sanitary conditions were found in areas of incomplete urbanization, where healthy water supply sources were scarce, and draining of sewage, without previous treatment, was made directly to the water-bodies used for domestic and leisure activities, despite being Biomphalaria tenagophila snail breeding-places. Stool examinations (Kato-Katz and Lutz methods) showed prevalence of 2.9%, mean intensity of 79 eggs per gram of stool and 47% of positive cases presenting intense infection. The use of snail-contaminated water for domestic purposes was considered a risk factor for infection. It is concluded that incomplete urbanization would facilitate transmission, probably enhancing the intensity of infection and that a low prevalence could hide a highly focal transmission. The relevance of these facts upon the efficiency of epidemiologic study methods and disease control planning are then discussed.

Comportamento de dípteros muscóides frente a substratos de oviposição, em laboratório, no Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil

How adult females of calyptrate Diptera recognize the appropriate breeding substrate is a matter of controversy. Among holometabolic insects, the feeding opportunities of immature stages are generally determined by the adult female choice of an oviposition site. The ovipositional and larvipositional substrate preference for the synanthropic flies (Chrysomya megacephala, C. putoria, Phaenicia cuprina: Calliphoridae; Atherigona orientalis, Synthesiomyia nudiseta: Muscidae; Ravinia belforti, Parasarcophaga ruficornis, Peckia chrysostoma: Sarcophagidae) is presented in this work. The substrate used for testing were the following: bovine minced meat, fish (sardine), bovine liver, shrimp, squid, human faeces and banana. Bovine minced meat was the ovipositional and larvipositional substrate preferred by seven species. Human faeces were preferred by R. belforti.

The Type Specimens of Apoidea (Hymenoptera) Deposited in the Entomological Collection of Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

A list of 41 Apoidea (Hymenoptera) type specimens deposited in the Entomological Collection of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil is presented. The types previously belonged to the Zikán and Schrottky private collections. A total of 11 holotypes and 30 paratypes are listed with their respective data and literature

The type specimens of sucking lice (anoplura) deposited in the entomological collection of Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

This study presents a list of 34 Anoplura type specimens deposited in the Werneck Collection of Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. It includes 18 holotypes, 16 allotypes, 88 paratypes and 10 neotypes, distributed among the genera: Enderleinellus, Fahrenholzia, Haematopinus, Hoplopleura, Linognathus, Microthoracius, Pecaroecus, Polyplax and Pterophthirus. The types are related according to their respective data and literature.

Seroepidemiological markers of enterically transmitted viral hepatitis A and E in individuals living in a community located in the North Area of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

We investigated the seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in subjects living in the community of Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and assisted at the Health Unit of Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. After formal consent, individuals were submitted to an interview using a standardized questionnaire. Anti-HAV and anti-HEV antibodies were detected by ELISA. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Epi-Info 6.04b software, to investigate possible associations between serological markers and risk factors. Results were regarded as significant when p value < 0.05. Although a high prevalence of anti-HAV was observed (87%), almost 50% of subjects under the age of 10 were susceptible to HAV infection, an unexpected rate in endemic areas. This fact could be attributed to improvements in environmental sanitation, occurring in this area in the last years. The increasing proportion of susceptible people may result in outbreaks of HAV infection, since the virus still circulates in this area, as verified by the detection of anti-HAV IgM in some individuals. No statistical association was met between HAV infection and the risk factors here assessed. The anti-HEV IgG prevalence found in this population was 2.4%, consistent with the one found in non-endemic areas.

The type specimens of chewing lice (Insecta, Mallophaga) deposited in the entomological collection of Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

This paper presents a list of 131 Mallophaga type specimens deposited in the Werneck Collection of Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. It includes 69 holotypes, 62 allotypes, 683 paratypes, 1 syntype and 2 neoparatypes, distributed among 6 families and 35 genera. The types are listed with their respective data and literature.

Composição e preferência por microhábitat de imaturos de Odonata (Insecta) em um trecho de baixada do Rio Ubatiba, Maricá-RJ, Brasil

No período de maio de 1999 a maio de 2000 foram efetuadas coletas de imaturos de Odonata (Insecta), em sete diferentes substratos, ao longo de 50 metros de um trecho do Rio Ubatiba, Maricá, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Um total de 1.279 larvas de Odonata foi coligido e identificado em 27 espécies de cinco famílias. Acanthagrion lancea (Selys, 1876), Hetaerina auripennis (Burmeister, 1839), Micrathyria hesperis Ris, 1911 e Telebasis filiola (Perty, 1834) foram as espécies mais numerosas. O substrato com o maior número de indivíduos foi "vegetação em áreas de remanso". Grande parte das espécies estudadas demonstrou preferência por algum dos substratos. Dythemis multipunctata Kirby,1894, Erythrodiplax sp., M. hesperis, T. filiola, A. lancea, Erythemis sp., Coryphaeschna adnexa (Hagen, 1861) e H. auripennis demonstraram preferência por substratos orgânicos, enquanto que Brechmorhoga sp., B. praeCOX (Hagen, 1869) e Progomphus complicatus (Selys, 1854), por inorgânicos.

Ocorrência de Selenaspidus articulatus (Morgan) (Hemiptera, Diaspididae) e do predador Pentilia egena (Mulsant) (Coleoptera, Coccinelidae) em Myrtus communis L. (Myrtaceae), em Pinheiral, RJ

As avaliações foram realizadas, semanalmente, durante os estádios vegetativo e de floração/frutificação em quatro quadrantes (N, S, L, O) da planta. Foram coletadas 2.230 espécimes de S. articulatus, sendo 1.224 no estágio vegetativo e 1.006 no florescimento/frutificação, sendo 59,8% adultos. De um total de 965 P. egena, 416 foram imaturos e 549 adultos. As principais conclusões deste trabalho são: (1) M. communis pode ser indicada como planta isca; (2) esta planta pode ser cultivada ou não próxima às culturas de importância econômica, pois funciona como um repositório da praga ou de seu inimigo natural; (3) a relação predador/presa/quadrante da planta/estágio fenológico foi, respectivamente, 1,14:1,0 e 1,0:1,08 nos quadrantes norte e leste; enquanto, à sul e oeste da planta M. communis foi de 1,0:2,26 e 1,0:2,80; (4) a predação de S. articulatus por P. egena ocorreu, em média, de 1,0 a 2,8 ninfas e 1,66 a 4,44 adultos (no estágio vegetativo) e de 1,0-3,76 a 1,0-3,98 (no estágio de florescimento/frutificação), com diferenças significativas em P< 0,0l.

Dinâmica populacional e parasitismo de Himenópteros parasitóides de Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) (Diptera, Calliphoridae), no Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Este estudo foi realizado no período de agosto de 1999 a julho de 2000 com o objetivo de conhecer os parasitóides de Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) (Diptera, Calliphoridae) e avaliar sua dinâmica populacional no Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC/ FIOCRUZ) e Jardim Zoológico, na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, RJ. As coletas foram realizadas semanalmente através da exposição de larvas de terceiro instar da mosca e seu substrato de criação, carne bovina moída em putrefação. Foram identificadas três espécies de himenópteros parasitóides: Tachinaephagus zealandicus Ashmead, 1904 (Encyrtidae), Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Rondani, 1875) (Pteromalidae) and Nasonia vitripennis (Walker, 1836) (Pteromalidae). Nos dois locais, T. zealandicus foi a espécie com maior taxa de parasitismo de C. megacephala, seguida por P. vindemiae e N. vitripennis. A população de parasitóides diminuiu drasticamente no verão (temperatura média = 28°C; precipitação = 6,5 mm).O pico populacional desses insetos foi verificado no final do outono e durante todo o inverno. No Jardim Zoológico, o lixo acumulado no local de coleta exerceu forte influência na dinâmica populacional dos himenópteros parasitóides identificados nesse estudo e o pico populacional de parasitismo foi verificado em junho e julho de 2000.