Phlebotomine fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) and species abundance in an endemic area of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in southeastern Minas Gerais, Brazil

This study was undertaken to identify the phlebotomine fauna and species abundance in domiciliary and peridomiciliary (hen-house and guava-tree) environments, on a lake shore, a cultivated area of coffee and banana, and a forested area of Concei??o da Aparecida municipality, southeastern the state of Minas Gerais, to provide information for the control and epidemiological surveillance of leishmaniasis in this area. The captures were carried out monthly between May 2001 and November 2002, with automatic light and Shannon traps. A total of 1444 sand flies were captured, 951 (76.5%) with automatic light traps and 493 (23.5%) with the Shannon trap. Thirteen species were captured, the most frequent being Nyssomyia whitmani (62.7%), Migonemyia migonei (21.4%), Pintomyia fischeri (6.9%), and Evandromyia lenti (3.6%). Species abundance was determined using the automatic light traps installed in the six environments. The most abundant species according to the standardized index of species abundance were Ny. whitmani (1.0) and Mg. migonei (0.82). In view of the dominance of these two species, known vectors of cutaneous leishmaniasis in other Brazilian areas, their participation in the transmission of the disease in this county is suggested. The diversity and evenness indexes in the domicile were the lowest due to the high frequency (83%) of Ny. whitmani. The capture of Lutzomyia longipalpis, rarely recorded in the south-eastern and southern regions of Minas Gerais, is also noteworthy.     

Phlebotomines (Diptera: Psychodidae) in forested areas of the Serra da Bodoquena, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Investigation was undertaken on the behaviour of the phlebotomine fauna in caves, forests, and anthropic environments of the Serra da Bodoquena, between January 1998 and January 2000. This paper reports on the phlebotomines captured in forested areas with automatic light traps (ALT), Shannon traps (ST), aspiration (AN), at natural resting sites and by human attractiveness (HA) during 24 h. The diversity and abundance of the species were investigated with ALT installed at 16 points (ground level) and 6 in the canopy. Natural infection by flagellates was investigated in females captured with ST AN, and HA. The sandfly fauna was represented by 23 species. Twenty-two of these were captured with ALT 15 of them on the western side, and 20 on the eastern. Lutzomyia longipalpis and Nyssomyia whitmani were the most abundant on the former and this species together with Lutzomyia almerioi on the latter side. On the eastern side the ecotopes located close to caves rendered a significantly greater number (P < or = 0.01) of specimens than did more distant sites. On this side Lu. almerioi contributed with 56% of the total number of specimens. Lu. almerioi females were predominantly attracted by humans (96.4%) and by ST (93.2%) and three of the 2173 dissected (0.138%) presented natural infection by flagellates. The attraction of Lu. almerioi to humans occurred during all seasons, predominantly in the summer, and in nocturnal and diurnal periods. Thus it is bothersome to inhabitants of and visitors to the Bodoquena ridge and a potential vector of flagellates.     

Diversity, distribution and abundance of sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Parana State, Southern Brazil

Due to the spread of Visceral leishmaniasis in Brazilian territory, this research was undertaken with the objective to identify the sandfly fauna and aspects of the species behavior in forest and anthropic environments in Paraná State, Brazil. The sandfly captures were sporadically carried out in 37 municipalities of the Paraná state, during the period from March 2004 to November 2005. Each municipality was once visited, when Falc?o traps were installed during three consecutive nights in forested fragments and anthropic environments; captures with Shannon traps installed in forests and edge of forests, inspection of walls and electric aspiration in domiciles and forested areas were sporadically undertaken. The data analysis was based on estimates of frequency and abundance of the species, by five native landscapes. A total of 38,662 specimens belonging to 23 species were captured. Nyssomyia neivai (Pinto) (75.6%), Ny. whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho) (10.1%), Migonemyia migonei (Fran?a) (7.8%), Expapillata firmatoi (Barreto et al.) (2.1%) and Pintomyia fischeri (Pinto) (1.6%) together constituted 97.2% of the phlebotomine collected. High frequencies of sand flies were found in forests, henhouses, pig-pens and domiciles. The three most frequent species have been implicated in transmission of tegumentary leishmaniasis in Paraná and in the Brazilian Southeastern and Southern Regions. Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva), the visceral leishmaniasis vector, was not found, however Lutzomyia gaminariai (Cordero et al.), female of which is similar to that of Lu. longipalpis was captured, raising the need to investigate its behavior, including as regard to the vectorial competence.     

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in the municipality of Várzea Grande: an area of transmission of visceral leishmaniasis in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has been naturally transmitted in periurban areas due to the emergence and reemergence of its vectors in such areas. Aimed to further knowledge on ecological aspects affecting the occurrence of phlebotomine sand flies in VL transmission areas in the municipality of Várzea Grande, state of Mato Grosso (MT), Brazil, sand fly captures were carried out. Monthly collections of sand flies were undertaken with CDC light-traps, which were left in both intradomiciliary and peridomiciliary areas of ten residences during four consecutive days between January 2004 and June 2006. Twenty-two species of genus Lutzomyia and one of Brumptomyia were captured. The most abundant species was Lutzomyia longipalpis (65.23%), followed by L. evandroi (16.26%), L. lenti (7.69%), L. whitmani (4.92%), L. sallesi (2.34%) and L. termitophila (1.32%). The highest density of the main VL vector, L. longipalpis, was found in peridomiciliary areas, mostly males. No significant correlation was found between environment (temperature, air relative humidity and rain fall) and phlebotomine density; although a slight increase in sand fly density has been observed in the period following rainfalls, particularly L. longipalpis. No correlation was observed between distribution and density of L. longipalpis, prevalence of human VL cases and the presence of serologically positive dogs. The presence of infected dogs, increased vector density, susceptibility rate and interruption of epidemiological surveillance may raise the risk of VL transmission to man in Várzea Grande.     

Phlebotomine sand flies in the State of Piauí, Brazil (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae).

In 1997, 1998 and 1999 we performed several captures in the State of Piauí, in the counties of Barro Duro, Campo Maior, Castelo, Floriano, Picos, S?o Raimundo Nonato and Teresina. We used CDC light traps inside houses, in a primary forest and in one cave. Seventeen species were collected being Lutzomyia longipalpis, Lutzomyia samueli, Lutzomyia whitmani and Lutzomyia lenti the most captured species. The genus Brumptomyia, L. whitmani, Lutzomyia sordellii, Lutzomyia carmelinoi, Lutzomyia termitophila, Lutzomyia peresi and Lutzomyia quinquefer are reported for first time in Piauí. We call the attention for the presence of L. whitmani and L. longipalpis, important vectors of leishmaniasis in various regions of South America.     

The phlebotomine fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) of Guaraí, state of Tocantins,with an emphasis on the putative vectors of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in rural settlement and periurban areas

Phlebotomine sandflies were captured in rural settlement and periurban areas of the municipality of Guaraí in the state of Tocantins (TO), an endemic area of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL). Forty-three phlebotomine species were identified, nine of which have already been recognised as ACL vectors. Eleven species were recorded for the first time in TO. Nyssomyia whitmani was the most abundant species, followed by Evandromyia bourrouli, Nyssomyia antunesi and Psychodopygus complexus. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index and the evenness index were higher in the rural settlement area than in the periurban area. The evaluation of different ecotopes within the rural area showed the highest frequencies of Ev. bourrouli and Ny. antunesi in chicken coops, whereas Ny. whitmani predominated in this ecotope in the periurban area. In the rural settlement area, Ev. bourrouli was the most frequently captured species in automatic light traps and Ps. complexus was the most prevalent in Shannon trap captures. The rural settlement environment exhibited greater phlebotomine biodiversity than the periurban area. Ps. complexus and Psychodopygus ayrozai naturally infected with Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis were identified. The data identified Ny. whitmani as a potential ACL vector in the periurban area, whereas Ps. complexus was more prevalent in the rural environment associated with settlements.     

Preliminary study on feeding preference of Nyssomyia neivai (Pinto) and Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho) (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a rural area of the State of Paraná, South Brazil

Due to the importance of sandflies in the American cutaneous leishmaniasis epidemiology, we investigated the feeding preference of sandflies related to domestic animals common in domiciliary environments in endemic rural areas, where this disease occurs. The sandflies were collected with Falc?o light traps, installed in cages, each one containing one domestic animal kind (pig, dog, rabbit or chicken), in Recanto Marista, in Doutor Camargo municipality. Forty five collections were made, totaling 135h of collections per trap. A total of 2,854 sandflies of the following species were collected: Brumptomyia brumpti (Larousse), Evandromyia correalimai (Martins, Coutinho & Luz), Evandromyia cortelezzii (Brèthes), Expapillata firmatoi (Barreto, Martins & Pellegrino), Micropygomyia ferreirana (Barreto, Martins & Pellegrino), Migonemyia migonei (Fran?a), Nyssomyia neivai (Pinto), Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho), Pintomyia fischeri (Pinto), Pintomyia monticola (Costa Lima), Pintomyia pessoai (Coutinho & Barreto), Psathyromyia lanei (Barreto & Coutinho) and Psathyromyia shannoni (Dyar). The dominant species was N. neivai. N. neivai and N. whitmani did not show any feeding preference towards the animals used as bait. It was concluded that N. neivai and N. whitmani are opportunist and, probably, the females adjust their feeding habits to the availability of hosts, suggesting their feeding eclecticism in the anthropic environments.     

Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) whitmani s.l . (Antunes & Coutinho, 1939)(Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae): geographical distribution and the epidemiology of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil--mini-review

The aim of the present study, in view of the widespread geographical distribution of Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) whitmani s.l. in Brazil, in close association with the regions of transmission of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis and L. (V.) shawi, is to investigate the distribution of this sand fly species and American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in relationship to vegetation and landscape ecology throughout Brazil. Thematic maps were elaborated by the MapInfo programme, giving information on the spatial distribution of L. whitmani s.l., in accordance with types of vegetation and foci of ACL. With regards to the known areas of transmission of ACL in Brazil, it is notable that L. (N.) whitmani s.l. occurs in most of them, where it has been implicated as a possible vector of L. (V.) braziliensis. The presence of L. whitmani s.l. has been registered in 26 states, the one exception being Santa Catarina; in some states such as Roraima, Acre, Tocantins, and Mato Grosso do Sul this sand fly species has been recorded in a large number of municipalities. L. whitmani s.l. has been found in association with a variety of vegetation types, including the Amazonian forest, savanna ("campos cerrados"), and northeastern savanna ("caatingas nordestinas" or "savana estépica").     

A study of sandfly species (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the municipality of Baturité, Ceará, Brazil.

In a study on putative vectors of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Baturité, Ceará State, Brazil, six sandfly species were identified: Lutzomyia longipalpis, L. wellcomei, L. peresi, L. whitmani, L. shannoni and L. migonei. In general L. whitmani and L. migonei were the predominant species. They were collected in periodomiciliary areas and were attracted by man and equines. L. whitmani was the most anthropophilic species. Studies using animals as bait showed that blood-feeding occurs throughout the night. Previously L. whitmani had been found infected with a Leishmania species of the braziliensis complex and L. migonei was infected with peripylarian flagellates. In combination these findings suggest that they may be responsible for periodomestic transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis.     

New baseline environmental assessment of mosquito ecology in northern Haiti during increased urbanization

The catastrophic 2010 earthquake in Port‐au‐Prince, Haiti, led to the large‐scale displacement of over 2.3 million people, resulting in rapid and unplanned urbanization in northern Haiti. This study evaluated the impact of this unplanned urbanization on mosquito ecology and vector‐borne diseases by assessing land use and change patterns. Land‐use classification and change detection were carried out on remotely sensed images of the area for 2010 and 2013. Change detection identified areas that went from agricultural, forest, or bare‐land pre‐earthquake to newly developed and urbanized areas post‐earthquake. Areas to be sampled for mosquito larvae were subsequently identified. Mosquito collections comprised five genera and ten species, with the most abundant species being Culex quinquefasciatus 35% (304/876), Aedes albopictus 27% (238/876), and Aedes aegypti 20% (174/876). All three species were more prevalent in urbanized and newly urbanized areas. Anopheles albimanus, the predominate malaria vector, accounted for less than 1% (8/876) of the collection. A set of spectral indices derived from the recently launched Landsat 8 satellite was used as covariates in a species distribution model. The indices were used to produce probability surfaces maps depicting the likelihood of presence of the three most abundant species within 30 m pixels. Our findings suggest that the rapid urbanization following the 2010 earthquake has increased the amount of area with suitable habitats for urban mosquitoes, likely influencing mosquito ecology and posing a major risk of introducing and establishing emerging vector‐borne diseases.     

Performance of light‐emitting diode traps for collecting sand flies in entomological surveys in Argentina

The performance of two light‐emitting diode traps with white and black light for capturing phlebotomine sand flies, developed by the Argentinean Leishmaniasis Research Network (REDILA‐WL and REDILA‐BL traps), were compared with the traditional CDC incandescent light trap. Entomological data were obtained from six sand fly surveys conducted in Argentina in different environments. Data analyses were conducted for the presence and the abundance of Lutzomyia longipalpis, Migonemyia migonei, and Nyssomyia whitmani (106 sites). No differences were found in presence/absence among the three types of traps for all sand fly species (p>0.05). The collection mean of Lu. longipalpis from the REDILA‐BL didn´t differ from the CDC trap means, nor were differences seen between the REDILA‐WL and the CDC trap collection means (p>0.05), but collections were larger from the REDILA‐BL trap compared to the REDILA‐WL trap (p<0.05). For Mg. migonei and Ny. whitmani, no differences were found among the three types of traps in the number of individuals captured (p>0.05). These results suggest that both REDILA traps could be used as an alternative capture tool to the original CDC trap for surveillance of these species, and that the REDILA‐BL will also allow a comparable estimation of the abundance of these flies to the CDC light trap captures. In addition, the REDILA‐BL has better performance than the REDILA‐WL, at least for Lu. longipalpis.     

Ecological interactions among phlebotomines (Diptera: Psychodidae) in an agroforestry environment of northeast Brazil

Phlebotomine vectors transmit parasites and can cause visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or cutaneous leishmaniasis (TL). Phlebotomine females are hematophagous but need to ingest carbohydrates, possibly promoting the development of protozoan parasites in their digestive tract. The present study evaluated the species composition and abundance across several habitats in a metropolitan landscape, as well as associations among phlebotomines, plants, and local climatic parameters. Three consecutive monthly collections were carried out in an Atlantic Forest fragment, using CDC light traps in peridomestic areas and cashew, coconut, and mango tree. plantations. Eight species of phlebotomine were captured: Evandromyia evandroi, Lutzomyia longipalpis, Psathyromyia shannoni, Sciopemyia sordellii, Evandromyia walkeri, Psychodopygus wellcomei, Nyssomyia whitmani, and Nyssomyia intermedia, primarily from the forest environment. L. longipalpis was confirmed as a species adapted to anthropic environments, while P. wellcomei was shown to be predominately forest‐dwelling. Phlebotomines exhibited diversified food consumption patterns in relation to carbohydrate sources. They fed on both native and exotic species of arboreal and shrubby vegetables and gramineous plants.     

Spatio‐temporal variation of biting flies,Stomoxys spp. (Diptera: Muscidae), along a man‐made disturbance gradient,from primary forest to the city of Makokou (North‐East,Gabon)

Understanding the pattern of abundance of vector populations is important to control the potential of transmission of associated pathogens. The pattern of abundance of Stomoxys Geoffroy, an ubiquitous blood‐sucking fly, is poorly known in tropical Africa. In this study, we investigated the spatio‐temporal pattern of abundance of the Stomoxys genus along a gradient of man‐made disturbance in north‐eastern Gabon. Three sites (one in primary forest, one in secondary forest and one in a man‐made environment) were monitored during 13 months using Vavoua traps. Seven species and subspecies were found to live in sympatry, but with distinct patterns of abundance with respect to space and time. The most abundant species was Stomoxys transvittatus Villeneuve, whereas the rarest species was S. xanthomelas Roubaud. Stomoxys calcitrans Linné was preferentially found in man‐made environments, whereas S. xanthomelas was preferentially found in primary forest. Stomoxys abundance was the greatest in secondary forest, then in man‐made environments and finally in primary forest. A seasonal variation in Stomoxys abundance was also found. In conclusion, forest degradation and deforestation are likely both to favour the concentration of populations of Stomoxys, and to change the specific composition of the Stomoxys community.     

Invasive leaf resources alleviate density dependence in the invasive mosquito, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aedes albopictus</Emphasis>

Interactions between invasive species can have important consequences for the speed and impact of biological invasions. Containers occupied by the invasive mosquito, Aedes albopictus Skuse, may be sensitive to invasive plants whose leaves fall into this larval habitat. To examine the potential for interactions between invasive leaf species and larval A. albopictus, we conducted a field survey of leaf material found with A. albopictus in containers in Palm Beach County, Florida and measured density dependent responses of A. albopictus larvae to two invasive and one native leaf species in laboratory experiments. We found increased diversity of leaf species, particularly invasive species, in areas further from the urbanized coast, and a significant positive association between the presence of Schinus terebinthifolious (Brazilian pepper) and the abundance of A. albopictus. In laboratory experiments, we determined that larval growth and survivorship were significantly affected by both larval density and leaf species which, in turn, resulted in higher population performance on the most abundant invasive species (Brazilian pepper) relative to the most abundant native species, Quercus virginiana (live oak). These results suggest invasive leaf species can alleviate density dependent reductions in population performance in A. albopictus, and may contribute to its invasion success and potential to spread infectious disease.     

Abundance of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) and urban transmission of visceral leishmaniasis in Campo Grande, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

The outspread and urbanization of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Campo Grande, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, lead us to undertake the present study over diversity and abundance of sand flies in the urban area to compare with previous search carried out during 1999/2000, before the identification of the disease in the human population.The captures were carried out with automatic light traps, weekly, from February 2004 to February 2005 on three sites including a forested area (Zé Pereira), two peridomicilies (shelters of domestic animals and cultivation areas), and intradomicilie. In the present study 110 collections were obtained during 13 months for 1320 h of collections, resulting in 5004 specimens, 3649 males and 1355 females belonging to the 20 following species: Brumptomyia avellari, Brumptomyia sp., Bichromomyia flaviscutellata, Evandromyia lenti, E. termitophila, E. cortelezzii, E. borrouli, Lutzomyia sp., L. longipalpis, Micropygomyia quinquefer, N. antunesi, N. whitmani, Pintomyia christenseni, Pi. damascenoi, Psathyromyia aragaoi, Ps. campograndensis, Ps. hermanlenti, Ps. shannoni, Pychodopygus claustrei, and Sciopemyia sordellii. L. longipalpis was the most abundant species in the anthropic environment with 92.22% of the captures. This shows an increase of sixty times in the density of L. longipalpis compared to the last sand fly evaluation in 1999/2000. The high density of L. longipalpis in Campo Grande is the main factor of risk in transmission of the disease to human in the urban area. The capture of N. antunesi, typical specie from Amazonian region, in Mato Grosso do Sul is reported for the first time.     

Experimental logging alters the abundance and community composition of ovipositing mosquitoes in the southern Appalachians

1. The loss of intact forest via logging can influence vector‐borne disease dynamics in part by altering the abundance or diversity of mosquito species. Using an experimental field approach, we characterised how two types of logging (clearcut and repeat‐entry shelterwood) affected temperate forest mosquito abundance and diversity in southwestern Virginia. 2.From May to September in 2008–2010, infusion‐baited gravid traps were used to collect ovipositing female mosquitoes across experimental forest plots that varied in logging treatment. Of the 29 680 collected adult female mosquitoes, the three dominant taxa captured were Aedes triseriatus (55%), Aedes japonicus (21%), and Culex pipiens/restuans (20%). 3. Logging treatment had a significant effect on the overall number of female mosquitoes caught per trap night, with lower average abundance of females on both logged treatments relative to two types of unlogged, control plots. When the three most abundant mosquito species were examined separately, logging treatment significantly influenced the abundance of both Aedes species, but did not significantly affect C. pipiens/restuans abundance. 4. Logging treatment did not influence the richness or diversity of mosquito species captured in gravid traps. However, logging treatment significantly altered the multivariate community composition of captured mosquitoes, an effect probably mediated by differential species‐specific impacts of logging on abundance. 5. Overall, the results of the present study suggest that the risk of arboviruses transmitted by container‐breeding Aedes species may be lower following a logging event in Appalachian forests because of reduced A. japonicus and A. triseriatus abundance with logging.     

The distribution,abundance and trends in the establishment of the family schilbeidae (osteichthyes: siluriformes) in Lake Kainji,Nigeria

The distribution and abundance of the five species of Schilbeidae in Lake Kainji were studied. The gill net samples showed that Eutropius niloticus was the most abundant and very common species in the lake. Physailia pellucida although greatly under-estimated by the gill nets was the next abundant and fairly common species. Schilbe mystus was not as abundant as the two previous species but was found to be common. Schilbe uranoscopus and Siluranodon auritus were very rare in the Lake. The spatial distribution showed that E. niloticus and P. pellucida occurred in high numbers in the open lake and the shorelines, while S. mystus had its highest number in the riverine areas of the Lake. An upward trend in the abundance of E. niloticus and P. pellucida was indicated while a decrease in the abundance of S. mystus within the lake was noted.     

Sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) collected with malaise trap in the Center-West of Minas Gerais State, Brazil

The aim of this paper was to verify the sand fly species collected with Malaise trap in the cities of Divinópolis and Pedra do Indaiá, both located in Minas Gerais state. Collections were carried out between November 2003 and October 2004. Thirty two specimens were captured belonging to seven species: Pintomyia monticola (Costa Lima), Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho), Pintomyia christenseni (Young & Duncan), Evandromyia cortelezzii (Brèthes), Sciopemyia sordellii (Shannon & Del Ponte), Pintomyia pessoai (Coutinho & Barretto) and Psathyromyia aragaoi (Costa Lima).     

Entomological surveys of Lutzomyia flaviscutellata and other vectors of cutaneous leishmaniasis in municipalities with records of Leishmania amazonensis within the Bragança region of Pará State,Brazil

In southeast Amazon, Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) flaviscutellata is the incriminated vector of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis, a causative agent of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). The optimal methods for surveying Lu. flaviscutellata were investigated in the Bragança region, northeast Pará State, Brazil, selected for the presence of Le. amazonensis. The performances of modified Disney traps and CDC light traps were compared in four ecotopes within and around four village transects during the wet and dry seasons. The physiological age of female sand flies was estimated and natural infection by flagellates was evaluated by dissection. Disney traps were better for detecting the presence of Lu. flaviscutellata, while CDC traps performed well for detecting Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) antunesi, suspected vector of Leishmania lindenbergi. The former was more abundant during the wet season, when female flies were naturally infected with Le. amazonensis. These findings identified the environments of local transmission. In order to improve surveys of Lu. flaviscutellata as part of integrated epidemiological surveillance of CL, our recommendations include focusing vector surveys with Disney traps on forest fragments where people work, during the seasonal peak of the vector. Further field studies are required to make model‐based predictions of seasonal variations in the vectorial capacity of vector populations.     

A study of Culicoides in Rondônia,in the Brazilian Amazon: species composition,relative abundance and potential vectors

There is very little information available about Culicoides species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in the western Brazilian Amazon. However, studies of the fauna of this region are essential to knowledge of the species and potential vectors within it. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the abundance, richness and composition of Culicoides species in rural areas in the state of Rondônia, Brazil. Culicoides specimens were collected in forest and pasture environments in the municipality of Porto Velho, using light traps. A total of 1708 individuals (1136 females and 572 males) belonging to 33 species were collected; 28 of these samples represent new records for the state of Rondônia and include the first record of Culicoides contubernalis in Brazil. Culicoides insignis was the most abundant species (86.1%). Species richness was greater in forest areas (32 species, 96.96%), whereas pastures presented the greatest number of Culicoides captured (n = 1540, 90.1%). This study shows that Culicoides populations differ between forest and pasture environments and indicates that the abundance of C. insignis is an important factor in epidemiological vigilance studies in the region.