Memória espacial e/ou olfativa em flebotomíneos em área endêmica de leishmaniose tegumentar americana, sul do Brasil

Abstract

The results from an investigation on the possibility that sandflies in an endemic area for American cutaneous leishmaniasis, in the state of Paraná, may have memory are reported. Sandflies were caught in Recanto Marista, Doutor Camargo, State of Paraná, Brazil, using Falcão traps in two chicken sheds (and between November 15 and 26, 2007. A total of 2,080 sandflies were caught (1,000 in and 1,080 in g2) and these were marked and released. Nyssomyia neivai was the most (90.5%) frequent species. Out of the total released, 168 sandflies (8%) were recaptured and the recapture rate in was significant. The results show that it is possible that spatial or olfactory memory and/or host loyalty exists, and that this will guide the sandflies in recognizing the places where sources of blood are available.