First Record of Culex (Culex. maxi Dyar (Diptera: Culicidae) in Pernambuco State, Brazil.

PRIMEIRA OCORRÊNCIA DE CULEX (CULEX. MAXI DYAR (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE) NO ESTADO DE PERNAMBUCO, BRASIL

ABSTRACT

Culicid females of some species may be hematophagous and important vectors of different etiological agents. The aim of the present study was to report the first record of Culex (Culex. maxi (Diptera: Culicidae) in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Two hundred and fifty culicid larvae were collected for identification. The morphological descriptions were compatible with descriptions for Cx. (Cx.. maxi. This is the first record of the occurrence of Cx. (Cx.) maxi in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil.

KEY WORDS
Culicid; Culex arabica(Culex) maxi; occurrence; Pernambuco

RESUMO

Fêmeas de culicídeos de algumas espécies podem ser hematófagas e importantes vetoras de diferentes agentes etiológicos. Objetivou-se assim, neste trabalho, registrar a primeira ocorrência de Culex (Culex. maxi no Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil. Para tanto, 250 larvas de culicídeos foram coletadas para identificação. As descrições morfológicas foram compatíveis com as descrições para a espécie Cx. (Cx.. maxi. Este artigo constitui a primeira ocorrência de Cx. (Cx.. maxi no Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil.

PALAVRAS-CHAVE
Culicídeo; Culex arabica(Culex) maxi; ocorrência; Pernambuco

The importance of insects from the family Culicidae is related to habitat. Culicid females may be hematophagous, which makes some of them important vectors of different etiological agents, such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa and even metazoan (Peruzin, 2009).

The occurrence of different species of culicids has been reported for the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, many of which transmit illnesses (Aragão et al., 2010).

It is therefore increasingly important to record the fauna and potential culicid vectors in the state. The aim of the present study was to report the first record of Culex (Culex. maxi (Diptera: Culicidae) in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil.

In June 2010, a technical visit was paid to a rural property in the city of Floresta (08º36’04” S and 38º34’07” W) in the state of Pernambuco, during which the animal watering trough was inspected and exhibited the presence of numerous culicid larvae. The water also contained a large amount of organic matter.

Two hundred and fifty culicid larvae were collected, placed in plastic recipients containing water and taken to the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases of Domestic Animals of the Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco. Brazil, for identification.

Fourth instar larvae were mounted on slides and viewed under an optical microscope. Identification was performed using dichotomous keys and complementary scientific literature (Forattini, 1965; Harbach et al., 1983; Almirón; Harbach, 1996, Forattini, 2002).

Some larvae were kept in plastic recipients containing de-chlorinated water and fish food for the completion of the biological cycle (Consoli; Lourenço-de-Oliveira, 1994) and subsequent identification of adults using dichotomous keys and complementary scientific literature to elucidate morphological aspects specific (Forattini, 1965; Consoli; Lourenço-de-Oliveira, 1994; Forattini, 2002; Almirón; Harbach, 1996). The male genitalia of ten mosquitoes was mounted on slides and observed in optical microscopy to compare with characteristcs described by Almirón; Harbach (1996) to Cx. (Cx.. maxi identification. The characteristics of the male and female adults were associated to those observed in the immature specimens.

The larvae exhibited a long, narrow respiratory siphon with subapical spines in the terminal region, siphon pecten with thirteen scales and four sets of bristles, each with three bristles along the siphon. The morphology of the scales and respiratory siphon and the bristles on the eighth segment, thorax, head and antennas were compatible with descriptions of Cx. (Cx.. maxi (Almirón; Harbach, 1996; Harbach; Peyton, 1992).

For the confirmation of the species, the adults were classified using identification keys (Forattini, 2002; Forattini, 1965; Almirón; Harbach, 1996). The species is of medium size and has brown coloration, a proboscis with a light-colored ring in the distal region, long palps with dark spots, scales on the thorax and spiracules and bristles on the head and abdomen as well as on the male genitalia. These findings are compatible with descriptions for Cx. (Cx.. maxi (Forattini, 1965; Almirón; Harbach, 1996; Forattini, 2002).

This is the first record of the occurrence of Cx. (Cx.. maxi in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil.

REFERENCES

• ALMIRÓN, W.R.; HARBACH, R.E. Taxonomy and biology of Culex (Culex. maxi Dyar (Diptera: Culicidae) in South America. Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, v.91, n.5, p.579-588, 1996.
• ARAGÃO, N.C.; MULLER, G.A.; BALBINO, V.Q.; COSTA JUNIOR, C.R.L.; FIGUEIREDO JUNIOR, C.S.; ALENCAR, J.; MARCONDES, C.B. A list of mosquito species of the Brazilian State of Pernambuco, including the first report of Haemagogus janthinomys (Diptera: Culicidae), yellow fever vector and 14 other species (Diptera: Culicidae). Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical, v.43, p.458-459, 2010.
• CONSOLI, R.A.G.B.; LOURENÇO-DE-OLIVEIRA, R.L. Principais mosquitos de importância sanitária no Brasil Rio de Janeiro: Editora da Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 1994. 225p.
• FORATTINI, O.P. Entomologia médica. Volume II. Culicini: Culex, Aedes e Psorophora.. São Paulo: Editora da USP/Faculdade de Higiene e Saúde Pública, 1965. 506p.
• FORATTINI, O.P. Culicidologia médica São Paulo: Editora da USP, 2002. v.2, 860p.
• HARBACH, R.E.; PEYTON, E.L. A new subgenus of Culex in the Neotropical Region (Diptera: Culicidae). Mosquito Systematics, v.24, p.242-251, 1992.
• HARBACH, R.E.; PEYTON, E.L.; JAKOB, W.L. Synonymy of Culex (Culex. oswaldoi with Culex (Culex. maxi Mosquito Systematics, v.15, p.310-317, 1983.
• PERUZIN, M.C.J. Análises comparativas populacionais de Culex quinquefasciatus em dois locais do Estado de São Paulo 2009. 97 f. Dissertação (Mestrado) - Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 2009.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  26 Oct 2020
• Date of issue
  Oct-Dec 2011

History

• Received
  22 Dec 2010
• Accepted
  01 Nov 2011