Culicídeos associados a entrenós de bambu e bromélias, com ênfase em Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Diptera, Culicidae) na Mata Atlântica, Paraná, Brasil

Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse, 1894) larvae were recorded for the first time in the internodes of bamboo cuts found in the Atlantic Forest in the State of Paraná, Brazil. The bamboo, Bambusa sp., was introduced in the area of Imbucuí-Mirim town, across the municipal district of Paranaguá and towards the interior of the Atlantic Forest. A total of 251 larvae of Aedes albopictus (37.9%), Culex (Microculex) spp. (13.9%), Limatus durhami Theobald, 1901 (39.8%), Toxorhynchites sp. (0.4%) and Wyeomyia spp. (8.0%) were collected from bamboo internodes filled with rain and from the terrestrial Bromeliaceae and epiphytas found near the bamboo bushes. Aedes albopictus was found in bamboo internodes containing 30 to 254 ml of rain, sometimes coexisting with Li. durhami. Borders of forest ecosystems should be characterized as risk areas for arbovirosis transmission, since they sustain the circulation of vertebrates and arthropodal hematophagus, not only in the wild but also in the anthropic areas.

Bromeliad-associated mosquitoes from Atlantic forest in Santa Catarina Island, southern Brazil (Diptera, Culicidae), with new records for the State of Santa Catarina

Bromeliad-associated mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Atlantic Forest in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, were studied, examining plants of Vriesea philippocoburgi Wawra and Aechmea lindenii (E. Morren) Baker var. lindenii at secondary Atlantic rain forest, and A. lindenii and Vriesea friburgensis Mez var. paludosa (L. B. Smith) at "restinga" per month, during 12 months. No immature forms of mosquitoes were collected from A. lindenii in the secondary forest. Collections obtained 368 immature mosquitoes, none of them from A. lindenii from rain forest. Culex (Microculex) spp. constituted 79.8% of the total, Wyeomyia (Phoniomyia) spp. 17.93%, and Anopheles (Kerteszia) cruzii (Dyar & Knab, 1908) only 1.36%. The study shows the great predominance of species of medical importance not yet proved, and the small number of immature stages of anopheline mosquitoes. The rainfall, but not the mean temperatures, significantly influenced the quantity of mosquitoes from V. philippocoburgi. Significant differences between the quantities of immature forms of all the bromeliad species were found, and the shape of the plants could be important to the abundance of mosquitoes. All six species of Cx. (Microculex) found are recorded for the first time in the State of Santa Catarina, and all six species of Wyeomyia (Phoniomyia) are recorded for the first time in bromeliads in this state.

Atividades da estação biológica de Perús

The author who was appointed entomologist of the Biological Station in Perus, São Paulo, describes in this paper, the kind of work he has been doing there. He begins with a description of the organization of the Station and of the routine work as it was daily carried on there, by himself and his staff, during nearly 6 months. During the day as well as during the night, captures of jungle were made in the forest and the same was done by night, in the Station House chiefly when the athmosphere was damp, just before, during, or after a rain. There was also an intensive search for foci of mosquitoes' larves in the bromelias, in holes, in trees and in the soil. The larves found in these breeding places were brought to a larvarium established in the forest in a place close to the station where they were bred in holes of bambus which were very suitable for them. During daytime, only new hatched mosquitoes have been captured, but during the night it has been possible to catch, inside the Station house, many female mosquitoes, with developped eggs, so confirming Aragão's opinion, that mosquitoes biting during the day are always, newly hatched ones. Some species of Sabetini were captured only inside the Biological Station House, during the night. The habits of the following species were subjected to more accurate investigations. Aedes scapularis, Aedes leucocelaenus, Lutzia braziliae, Culex (Carolia) iridescens, Orthopodomyia albicosta, Goeldia palidiventer, Joblotia compressum, Wyeomyia longirostris, Sabetoides intermedius, Limatus durhami. The conditions of the temperature of the Station, did not permit the authour to obtain breedings of Aedes aegypti in the larvarium of the Station, even during he summer months. A great diminuitions of species of the jungle mosquitoes was observed, from January till June, that is, when temperature gets lower and lower. The author has made the interesting observation that some species of mosquitoes (Joblotia and Limatus), must take a meal of flowers or bee honey before they suck blood. A list of the mosquitoes captured during the months of February to June, in the Station is given.

Alguns aspectos da ecologia dos mosquitos (Diptera: Culicidae) de uma área de planície (Granjas Calábria), em Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro. I. frequência comparativa das espécies em diferentes ambientes e métodos de coleta

Para estudar a ecologia dos mosquitos de planície litorânea do Rio de janeiro efetuamos, de agosto de 1981 a julho de 1983, uma série de coletas de adultos e formas imaturas numa fazenda, Granjas Calábria, em Jacarepaguá. Encontramos 50 espécies, inclusive nove que assinalamos pela primeira vez no Estado do Rio de Janeiro e várias transmissoras potenciais de doenças humanas. Neste primeiro artigo de uma série, apresentamos os resultados referentes á frequência comparativa dos adultos em diferentes ambientes e métodos de caputra. De 20.472 mosquitos adultos capturados, Mansonia titillans foi a espécie mais frequente, seguida de Aedes scapularis, phoniomyia deanei, Phoniomyia davisi e Culex saltanensis. Em isca humana a sequência foi a mesma. A fauna em armadilha luminosa não coincidiu com a de mosquitos capturados picando homem e animais, sendo Uranotaenia lowi a espécie mais assídua. As capturas em mata residual secundaria foram mais rendosas do que as realizadas em charco e ambientes descampados por ação antrópica, com exceção de Mansonia titillans, Coquillettidia venezuelensis, Culex amazonensis e Wyeomyia leucostigama em que essa diferença não se constatou ou se inverteu.

Alguns aspectos da ecologia dos mosquitos (Diptera: Culicidae) de uma área de planície (Granjas Calábria), em Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro: II. Frequência mensal e no ciclo lunar

Neste artigo publicamos os resultados de coletas semanais de mosquitos adultos em isca humana, realizadas no extradomicílio, em uma área de planície litorânea (Granjas Calábria), em Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro, de agosto de 1981 a julho de 1982, com o intuito de conhecer sua freqüència mensal e no ciclo lunar. Das 32 espécies obtidas, Aedes scapularis, Culex crybda, Culex declarator, Culex nigripalpus, Culex saltanensis, Mansonia titilans, Phoniomya davisi, Phonyomyia deanei e Phoniomyia theobaldi estiveram presentes em todos os meses do ano. Conforme a variação estacional reunimos as espécies nos seguintes grupos: espécies cuja densidade foi diretamente proporcional à quantidade de chuvas e à temperatura, desenvolvendo-se em criadouros temporários e semipermanentes, como Aedes scapularis, Aedes taeniorhynchus e Culex nigripalpus; espécies ecléticas, cuja freqüência não acompanhou a das chuvas e temperatura, criando-se em coleções aquáticas permanentes, como Culex amazonensis, Culex declarator e Coquillettidia venezuelensis; e espécies com densidade inversamente proporcional à pluviosidade e à temperatura, evoluindo em águas perenes, como Mansoni titillans e Wyeomyia leucostigma. As coletas feitas durante a lua minguante foram as mais produtivas, porém pelos resultados obtidos não pudemos concluir que haja um nítido controle da lua sobre a densidade dos mosquitos.

Mosquitos no Parque Nacional da Serra dos Orgãos, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: II. Distribuição vertical

Em prosseguimento aos estudos sobre a ecologia de culicídeos que vimos realizando no Parque Nacional da Serra dos Orgãos (PNSO), apresentamos nesta oportunidade a sua distribuição vertical. Por meio de capturas feitas em isca humana concomitantemente ao nível do solo e nas imediações da copa das árvores, estabelecemos as tendências das espécies que ali ocorreram de março de 1981 a fevereiro de 1982, por se alimentarem de sangue na copa da floresta ou junto ao solo. A distribuição é analisada comparativamente em ambos os níveis levando-se em consideração as variações de temperatura, umidade, precipitações pluviométricas e estações do ano. Dentre as espécies com nítida preferência à acrodendrofilia encontramos alguns importantes transmissores de doenças: Anopheles cruzii - malária humana e simiana; Culex nigripalpus - encefalite de São Luis (SLE); Haemagogus leucocelaenus e Haemagogus capricornii - febre amarela silvestre, todas também sendo obtidas, embora em menor número, a nível do solo. Os sabetíneos - Wyeomyia Knabi, Phoniomyia theobaldi, Sabethes tarsopus, Sabethes quasicyaneus, Sabethes chloropterus - completam a relação das principais espécies que preferem a copa. Por outro lado, Aedes fluviatilis, Trichoprosopon digitatum, Tr. similis, Tr. frontosus, Tr. theobaldi, Wy, arthrostigma, Wy. aporonoma, Wy. personata, Wy undulata, Wy. mystes, Limatus durhami, Li. pseudomethisticus, Sa. identicus e Sa. undosus foram capturados em grande maioria próximo ao solo.

Alguns aspectos da ecologia dos mosquitos (Diptera: Culicidae) de uma área de planície (Granjas Calábria), em Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro: III. Preferência horária das fêmeas para o hematofagismo

Apresentamos os resultados de observação sobre o ciclo circadiano de atividade hematofágica dos mosquitos, em Granja Calábria, Jacarepaguá, na planície litorânea do Rio de Janeiro, onde realizamos, em isca humana, ao ar livre, capturas semanais, de 8 às 10, de 13 às 15 e 18 às 20 horas, de agosto de 1981 a julho de 1982, além de três capturas horárias de 24 horas seguidas. A maioria das espécies locais revelou caráter crepuscular vespertino e noturno. Contudo Limatus durhami, Phoniomyia davisi, Wyeomyia leucostigma e Wyeomyia (Dendromyia) sp. foram essencialmente diurnas, enquanto Anopheles albitarsis, Culex chidesteri e Culex quinquefasciatus foram obtidas somente no crepúsculo vespertino e à noite. Embora Anopheles aquasalis, Culex coronator, Culex saltanensis, Culex crybda e Coquillettidia venezuelensis fossem preponderantemente noturnas e Phoniomyia deanei e Phoniomyia theobaldi principalmente diurnas, obtivemô-las algumas vezes, fora do horário preferencial, sendo que Phoniomyia deanei teve nítido incremento pré-crepuscular vespertino. Aedes scapularis, Aedes taeniorhynchus e Mansonia titillans, espécies mais ecléticas, picaram durante todo o nictêmero, mas com flagrante acentuação crepuscular vespertina.

Alguns aspectos da ecologia dos mosquitos (Diptera, Culicidae) de uma área de planície (granjas Calábria), em Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro: V. Criadouros

Apresentamos os resultados de observações sobre os criadouros dos mosquitos, que realizamos numa fazenda - Granjas Calábria, da Baixada de Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro, no período de agosto de 1981 a julho de 1983. A maioria das espécies locais preferiu coleções líquidas no solo, particularmente as de caráter natural, não deixando, entretanto, de procurar aquelas propiciadas pelas atividades humanas. Os criadouros transitórios foram mais freqüentados por Culex saltanensis e pelas espécies da tribo Aedini, como Aedes scapularis, Aedes taeniorhynchus, Psorophora ciliata e Psorophora confinnis, enquanto os de caráter permanente foram mananciais de formas imaturas de Mansonia titillans, Culex amazonensis, Culex chidesteri, Culex bidens, Culex declarator, Culex nigripalpus e Culex plectoporpe. Algumas espécies foram coletadas em recipientes naturais: Culex ocellatus, os Culex (Microculex), Phoniomyia davisi, Phoniomyia deanei e Wyeomyia forcipenis, em bromélias; Aedes terrens, Culex gairus e Culex imitador, em buraco em árvore; e Wyeomyia leucostigma, em axilas submersas das folhas de taboas (Thypha dominguensis). Culex gairus foi encontrado pela primeira vez criando em recipientes artificiais, locais também preferidos por Culex corniger, Culex quinquefasciatus e Limatus durhami.

Mosquitos no Parque Nacional da Serra dos Orgãos, estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: IV. Preferência alimentar

Como parte das observações que vimos realizando sobre a ecologia dos mosquitos culicíneos no Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, estudamos nesta oportunidade as preferências alimentares dos espécimens fêmeas que ali ocorrem. Através de amostragens simultâneas a nível do solo e nas imediações da copa das árvores, em diferentes períodos de 24 horas consecutivas, realizamos a captura da fauna culicideana atraída para a hematofagia por uma das iscas alí expostas: ave, gambá, lagarto e isca humana comparativa. No período de março de 1983 a setembro de 1985, a fauna culicideana apresentou-se bastante eclética, com uma ligeira tendência ao antropofilismo. A única espécie nitidamente ornitófila foi o Culex nigripalpus, enquanto Cx. (Melanoconion) sp. distribuiu-se, em baixas incidências entre o gambá e a ave nas suas preferências. Alguns sabetíneos, como Trichoprosopon similis, Tr. frontosus, Tr. reversus, Tr. thobaldi, Wyeomyia personata, Wy. confusa, Wy. mystes, Phoniomyia pilicauda, Ph. theobaldi e Limatus durhami, foram capturados, em significativos percentuais, realizando o repasto sangüíneo na ave. Entretanto, em nenhuma oportunidade, observamos o lagarto sendo utilizado para hematoagia pelos mosquitos.

The type specimens of mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae) deposited in the entomological collection of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A list of type specimens of 100 mosquito species deposited in the Entomological collection of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz is presented. It includes five holotypes belonging to the subfamily Anophelinae; 56 holotypes of Culicinae and two of Toxorhynchitinae. A lectotype is designated for Toxorhynchites fluminensis. The holotypes of six nominal species - Psorophora chiquitana, Psorophora circunflava, Psorophora melanota, Psorophora lanei, Wyeomyia brucei and Uranotaenia noctivaga - previously considered non existent or of unknown location were found in the collection.

Ecology of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in areas of Serra do Mar State Park, State of São Paulo, Brazil. I - Monthly frequency and climatic factors

The ecology of mosquitoes were studied (Diptera: Culicidae) in areas of Serra do Mar State Park, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Systematized monthly human bait collections were made three times a day, for periods of 2 or 3 h each, in sylvatic and rural areas for 24 consecutive months (January 1991 to December 1992). A total of 24,943 specimens of adult mosquitoes belonging to 57 species were collected during 622 collective periods. Coquillettidia chrysonotum was the most frequent collected mosquito (45.8%) followed by Aedes serratus (6.8%), Cq. venezuelensis (6.5%), Psorophora ferox (5.2) and Ps. albipes (3.1%). The monthly averages of temperature and relative humidity were inserted in the ten-year average limits of maximum and minimum of the previous ten-years. Rainfall accompanied the curve of the ten-year averages. Those climatic factors were influential in the incidence of some species; temperature: Anopheles cruzii, An. mediopunctatus, Ae. scapularis, Ae. fulvus, Cq. chrysonotum, Cq. venezuelensis, Runchomyia reversa, Wyeomyia dyari, Wy. confusa, Wy. shannoni, Wy. theobaldi and Limatus flavisetosus; relative humidity: Ae. serratus, Ae. scapularis, Cq. venezuelensis and Ru. reversa; rainfall: An. cruzii, Ae. scapularis, Ae. fulvus, Cq. venezuelensis Ru. reversa, Wy. theobaldi and Li. flavisetosus.

Ecology of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in areas of Serra do Mar State Park, State of São Paulo, Brazil. II - Habitat distribution

The mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) ecology was studied in areas of Serra do Mar State Park, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Systematized biweekly human bait collections were made three times a day, for periods of 2 or 3 h each, in sylvatic and rural areas for 24 consecutive months (January 1991 to December 1992). A total of 24,943 adult mosquitoes belonging to 57 species were collected during 622 collective periods. Aedes scapularis, Coquillettidia chrysonotum, Cq. venezuelensis, Wyeomyia dyari, Wy. longirostris, Wy. theobaldi and Wy. palmata were more frequently collected at swampy and at flooded areas. Anopheles mediopunctatus, Culex nigripalpus, Ae. serratus, Ae. fulvus, Psorophora ferox, Ps. albipes and the Sabethini in general, were captured almost exclusively in forested areas. An. cruzii, An. oswaldoi and An. fluminensis were captured more frequently in a residence area. However, Cx. quinquefasciatus was the only one truly eusynanthropic. An. cruzii and Ae. scapularis were captured feeding on blood inside and around the residence, indicating that both species, malaria and arbovirus vectors respectively, may be involved in the transmission of these such diseases in rural areas.

The subgenus Dendromyia theobald: a review with redescriptions of four species (Diptera: Culicidae)

A morphological study of larval, pupal and adult life stages (including genitalia characters) was performed in order to evaluate the classification of the subgenus Dendromyia, genus Wyeomyia Theobald. Six species are included: Wy. ypsipola Dyar, Wy. jocosa (Dyar & Knab), Wy. testei Senevet & Abonnenc, Wy. complosa (Dyar), Wy. luteoventralis Theobald and Wy. trifurcata Clastrier, the first four of which are redescribed. The descriptions include illustrations of the male and female genitalia, fourth-instar larva and pupa. The result firmly supports Dendromyia as a monophyletic group, with well defined characters. Keys for the identification of all life stages of species included in Dendromyia are provided.

Bromeliad-inhabiting mosquitoes in an urban botanical garden of dengue endemic Rio de Janeiro - Are bromeliads productive habitats for the invasive vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus?

Immatures of both Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus have been found in water-holding bromeliad axils in Brazil. Removal of these plants or their treatment with insecticides in public and private gardens have been undertaken during dengue outbreaks in Brazil despite uncertainty as to their importance as productive habitats for dengue vectors. From March 2005-February 2006, we sampled 120 randomly selected bromeliads belonging to 10 species in a public garden less than 200 m from houses in a dengue-endemic neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. A total of 2,816 mosquito larvae and pupae was collected, with an average of 5.87 immatures per plant per collection. Culex (Microculex) pleuristriatus and Culex spp of the Ocellatus Group were the most abundant culicid species, found in all species of bromeliads; next in relative abundance were species of the genus Wyeomyia. Only two individuals of Ae. aegypti (0.07%) and five of Ae. albopictus(0.18%) were collected from bromeliads. By contrast, immatures of Ae. aegypti were found in manmade containers in nearly 5% of nearby houses. These results demonstrate that bromeliads are not important producers of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus and, hence, should not be a focus for dengue control. However, the results of this study of only one year in a single area may not represent outcomes in other urban localities where bromeliads, Ae. aegypti and dengue coincide in more disturbed habitats.

Classification of immature mosquito species according to characteristics of the larval habitat in the subtropical province of Chaco, Argentina

To classify mosquito species based on common features of their habitats, samples were obtained fortnightly between June 2001-October 2003 in the subtropical province of Chaco, Argentina. Data on the type of larval habitat, nature of the habitat (artificial or natural), size, depth, location related to sunlight, distance to the neighbouring houses, type of substrate, organic material, vegetation and algae type and their presence were collected. Data on the permanence, temperature, pH, turbidity, colour, odour and movement of the larval habitat's water were also collected. From the cluster analysis, three groups of species associated by their degree of habitat similarity were obtained and are listed below. Group 1 consisted of Aedes aegypti. Group 2 consisted of Culex imitator, Culex davisi, Wyeomyia muehlensi and Toxorhynchites haemorrhoidalis separatus. Within group 3, two subgroups are distinguished: A (Psorophora ferox, Psorophora cyanescens, Psorophora varinervis, Psorophora confinnis, Psorophora cingulata, Ochlerotatus hastatus-oligopistus, Ochlerotatus serratus, Ochlerotatus scapularis, Culex intrincatus, Culex quinquefasciatus, Culex pilosus, Ochlerotatus albifasciatus, Culex bidens) and B (Culex maxi, Culex eduardoi, Culex chidesteri, Uranotaenia lowii, Uranotaenia pulcherrima, Anopheles neomaculipalpus, Anopheles triannulatus, Anopheles albitarsis, Uranotaenia apicalis, Mansonia humeralis and Aedeomyia squamipennis). Principal component analysis indicates that the size of the larval habitats and the presence of aquatic vegetation are the main characteristics that explain the variation among different species. In contrast, water permanence is second in importance. Water temperature, pH and the type of larval habitat are less important in explaining the clustering of species.