The phlebotomine sand flies are the natural vectors of some etiological agents of human and animal diseases, such as the protozoa of the genus Leishmania Ross, 1903. The phlebotomine fauna in Mato Grosso do Sul is relatively well known and so far consists of 54 species. The present study is based on the survey of the phlebotomine fauna of the urban area of the 18 municipal districts with transmission of visceral leishmaniasis, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, for the purpose of verifying the main species and providing data for the leishmaniasis control programmes. The collections were undertaken with automatic light traps, installed monthly on three consecutive nights, from 06:00 pm to 6:00 am over a two-year period. A total of 34,799 sand fly specimens, belonging to 36 species, were collected. Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) and Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes, 1939) were the most widely dispersed species, the former was found in 16 and the latter in 15 out of the 18 municipalities investigated, however, Lu. longipalpis was predominant in all the municipalities and Ny. whitmani was not predominant in any of them. Corumbá contributed with 40.92% of the specimens and Lutzomyia cruzi (Mangabeira, 1938) with 92.50% of the specimens captured there. It is suggested that the species of Lutzomyia genus and Ny. whitmani may be involved in the transmission of leishmaniasis in Mato Grosso do Sul state.
Cutaneous leishmaniasis; visceral leishmaniasis; Phlebotominae
