New Records of Phlebotomine Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) From the State of Alagoas, Northeast of Brazil.

Phlebotomine sand flies are small insects of great medical importance. This study presents new records of phlebotomine sand flies, which augment the list of species, recorded in the state of Alagoas, Brazil. Sand flies were collected using CDC miniature light traps. Collections were made between November 2008 and April 2016, in 47 municipalities within the state of Alagoas. Twenty-seven thousand two-hundred forty-four sand flies were collected, representing 18 species in seven genera. Lutzomyia longipalpis was the predominant species (85.4% of total), and it was recorded in all biomes. Three species (Evandromyia evandroi (Costa Lima and Antunes 1936), Evandromyia tupynambai (Mangabeira 1942), and Pressatia choti (Floch and Abonnenc 1941)) were collected in coastal and Atlantic forest biomes; five species (Lutzomyia villelai (Mangabeira 1942), Micropygomyia oswaldoi (Mangabeira 1942), Nyssomyia umbratilis (Ward and Frahia 1977), Nyssomyia intermedia (Lutz and Neiva 1912), and Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes and Coutinho 1939)) were collected in Atlantic forest and Caatinga biomes. The species Evandromyia corumbaensis (Galati, Nunes, Oshiro and Rego 1989) and Psathyromyia naftalekatzi (Falcão, Andrade-Filho, Almeida and Brandão-Filho 2000) were found only in the coastal zones. This work provides an updated list of the phlebotomine sand flies of Alagoas, with some notes on their taxonomy, ecology, distribution, and epidemiological relevance.

Analysis of the genetic structure of allopatric populations of Lutzomyia umbratilis using the period clock gene.

In South America, Lutzomyia umbratilis is the main vector of Leishmania guyanensis, one of the species involved in the transmission of American tegumentary leishmaniasis. In Brazil, L. umbratilis has been recorded in the Amazon region, and an isolated population has been identified in the state of Pernambuco, Northeastern region. This study assessed the phylogeographic structure of three allopatric Brazilian populations of L. umbratilis. Samples of L. umbratilis were collected from Rio Preto da Eva (north of the Amazon River, Amazonas), from Manacapuru (south of the Amazon River), and from the isolated population in Recife, Pernambuco state. These samples were processed to obtain sequences of the period gene. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of two distinct monophyletic clades: one clade comprised of the Recife and Rio Preto da Eva samples, and one clade comprised of the Manacapuru samples. Comparing the Manacapuru population with the Recife and Rio Preto da Eva populations revealed high indices of interpopulational divergence. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that geographical distance and environmental differences have not modified the ancestral relationship shared by the Recife and Rio Preto da Eva populations. Genetic similarities suggest that, in evolutionary terms, these populations are more closely related to each other than to the Manacapuru population. These results confirm the existence of an L. umbratilis species complex composed of at least two incipient species.

Phenotypic and genotypic variations among three allopatric populations of Lutzomyia umbratilis, main vector of Leishmania guyanensis.

BACKGROUND: In South America, Lutzomyia umbratilis is the main vector of Leishmania guyanensis, one of the species involved in the transmission of American tegumentary leishmaniasis. In Brazil, L. umbratilis has been recorded in the Amazon region, and in the state of Pernambuco, Northeastern region, where an isolated population has been identified. This study assessed the phylogeographic structure and size and shape differences of the wing of three Brazilian populations. METHODS: Samples of L. umbratilis were collected from Rio Preto da Eva (north of the Amazon River, Amazonas), from Manacapuru (south of the Amazon River), and from the isolated population in Recife, Pernambuco state. These samples were processed to obtain sequences of the Cytochrome Oxidase I mitochondrial gene. Geometrics morphometry analysis of the right wing shape of the three populations was made using discriminate canonical analysis. RESULTS: Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of two distinct monophyletic clades: one clade comprised of the Recife and Rio Preto da Eva samples, and the other clade comprised of the Manacapuru samples. Comparing the Manacapuru population with the Recife and Rio Preto da Eva populations generated high indices of interpopulational divergence. Geometric morphometry analysis indicated two distinct groups between the studied populations. Canonical variate analysis of wing shape indicated that Rio Preto da Eva population is significantly closer to Recife population, and both populations were genetically distant from Manacapuru. CONCLUSION: The polymorphic sites and geometric morphometry analysis indicate that the distance, lack of continuity and environmental differences have not modified the ancestral relationship between Recife and Rio Preto da Eva populations. The genetic and morphological similarities shared by the Recife and Rio Preto da Eva populations suggest that these populations are more closely related evolutionarily. These results confirm the existence of an L. umbratilis species complex in the North and Northeast regions.