[Immature mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in a public city park]. / Imaturos de mosquitos (Diptera: Culicidae) em parque de área metropolitana aberto à visitação pública.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and compare the immature Culicidae population and their predators in different breeding places in a public city park. METHODS: The study was carried out in an ecological park situated in the outskirts of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Four Culicidae breeding places were selected: one semi-permanent, two permanent and one polluted brook. Throughout a year, at monthly intervals, systematic and standardized collections of Culicidae and their predators were undertaken to assess mosquito frequency, and estimate the index of abundance and predatory potential of the associated fauna. RESULTS: A total of 9,065 Culicidae were collected at the four breeding places studied. Twenty-two species or groups were obtained, generally at low frequencies, except for Culex quinquefasciatus, the only species at the polluted breeding place seen highly frequent. This was the most abundant species in this study, followed by others of the Culex genus. CONCLUSIONS: It was found an imbalance in the polluted breeding place as a result of a high concentration of pollutants and absence of predators, which leads to an intense proliferation of only one species. At the other breeding places, there is evidence that the associated fauna promotes a natural biological balance.

[Aedes albopictus in rural zone of Brazil and its implication in the wild yellow fever transmission]. / Aedes albopictus em área rural do Brasil e implicações na transmissão de febre amarela silvestre.

Larvae and adult forms of Aedes albopictus were found during ecological study of anopheline mosquitos in the rural zone of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil. This occurrence was registered, for the first time in Brazil, in an enzoootic area if sylvatic yellow fever virus. This implies a potential risk of the transfer of this virus to an urban area infested with Aedes aegypti.

[Infestation by Pediculus humanus (Anoplura: Pediculidae) in a metropolitan area of southeast Brazil]. / Infestação por Pediculus humanus (Anoplura: Pediculidae) no Município de São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

Adults, nymphs and nits of the Pediculus humanus were found in a frame-house infesting the clothes and bedding of three inhabitants in a shanty town in S. Paulo county, S. Paulo State. A total of 198 nits were found glued in 15.0 cm2 of fibres of the infested clothing, giving a ratio of 13.2 nits/cm2. Having in view that the precarious living conditions, promiscuity, absence of basic sanitation and negligence of the sanitary authorities in various Brazilian cities, this situation should not be underestimated. This find should be more frequent than an isolated observation.

[Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse) breeding in Bromeliaceae in the outskirts of an urban area of the city of São Paulo, Brazil]. / Encontro de Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse) em Bromeliaceae na periferia de São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

Larvae of Aedes albopictus from a plant of the Bromeliaceae family on the outskirts of S. Paulo, SP, Brazil, were collected. This occurrence sheds new light on the attempt to determine the potential of this plants as a breeding site for this mosquito in Brazil.