Phlebotomine sandfl y species from an American visceral leishmaniasis area in the Northern Rainforest region of Pernambuco State, Brazil A fauna de fl envolvida em área de incidência de leishmaniose visceral americana na Zona da Mata de Pernambuco, Brasil

Abstract The aim of this study was to identify the fauna of phlebotomine sandflies in an area with inci-dence of American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) in Sao Vicente Ferrer, a municipality (county) located in the northern Zona da Mata in Per-nambuco State, Brazil. Sandfly captures were conducted monthly for four nights/month from December 2002 to November 2003, by means of manual captures (with a Shannon trap) and by CDC light traps. A total of 23,156 specimens of phlebotomines sandflies were collected in a rem-nant of the Atlantic rainforest, houses, and ani-mal shelters. Lutzomyia complexa was the most prevalent species, with a frequency of 62.5% (14,445/23,156), followed by Lutzomyia migo-nei , with 33.2% (7,677/23,156). No Lutzomyia longipalpis (the main vector of Leishmania cha-gasi in Brazil and the Americas) was found in the target area. Some specimens were dissected, but no Leishmania parasites were found.Leishmaniasis; Psychodidae; Disease Vectors Introduction American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) is a zoo-nosis of domestic and wild canids and prob-ably other wild mammals such as opossums and rodents. The disease is caused by