Estudo da comunidade de flebotomíneos (Diptera, Psychodidae) em parques urbanos no município de João Pessoa, Paraíba

Abstract

Sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are insects of medical and veterinary importance due to their role as vectors of protozoa of the genus Leishmania, causative agents of Leishmaniasis, the visceral form being the most serious and fatal to public health. Essentially, this disease was characteristic of wild and rural areas, however the processes that resulted in the environmental modification of these areas, such as urbanization, led to a change in the epidemiological profile of visceral leishmaniasis, affecting new areas, including urban centers. Urban parks are the result of these processes and have an epidemiological importance as they provide conditions for the maintenance of the leishmaniasis cycle and attract a high number of visitors. The municipality of João Pessoa is considered endemic for visceral leishmaniasis and lacks studies on the ecology of its vector insects, especially in urban park areas. Thus, the objective of this work was to characterize the community of these in urban parks of João Pessoa. The captures were carried out in two monitoring stations, one in Parque Zoobotânico Arruda Câmara (EMB) and the other in Parque Natural Municipal do Cuiá (EMC), a qualified situation close to an area with a high density of canine cases of visceral leishmaniasis. Both monitoring stations are in remnants of the Atlantic Forest in the municipality of João Pessoa, Paraíba. Sandflies were captured using CDC-type light traps, from September 2020 to May 2021, with the traps being exposed monthly for 4 consecutive days, totaling a sampling effort of 3,790 h. At EMC, armadillos were placed in three different areas: in the forest area in advanced stage of regeneration, in early stage and in human settlements on the edge of the park. Species abundance of species was assessed through the Species Abundance Index, and the community diversity profile at each monitoring station through Hills numbers. In total, 179 sand flies were captured, belonging to six genera and nine species: Brumptomyia (1 sp.), Evandromyia (4 spp.), Lutzomyia (1 sp.), Psathyromyia (1 sp.), Psychodopygus (1 sp.) e Sciopemyia (1 sp.). The genus Psychodopygus was registered for the first time in the state. As analyzed communities of EMC and EMB have different diversity standards. The species Evandromyia (Aldamyia) walkeri and Lutzomyia (Lutzomyia) longipalpis, vector species of visceral leishmaniasis, were the main source throughout the study in both seasons. Among the areas in different stages of regeneration in EMC, the one in advanced stage presented the greatest richness and abundance, with six species and 87 specimens, respectively, while the area with human settlements presented only the species Lu. (Lu.) longipalpis. This study was the pioneer in portraying the sand fly community in urban parks in Paraíba, recording for the first time the presence of the vector species Lu. (Lu.) longipalpis in these places. Thus, it is necessary to monitor these insects, detect molecular parasites, along with the development of a control strategy to prevent the spread of this disease in the local population.