Amazonian sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a forest extraction area, and the first detection of Leishmania DNA in Pintomyia serrana.

Introduction: In Brazil, the sandfly species' greatest diversity and richness is concentrated in the Amazon region. This is also the greatest diversity of causative agents of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ACL). The present study aimed to identify aspects of the sandfly fauna and the detection of Leishmania in the forest extraction area in the municipality of Xapuri, Acre, Western Amazon, complementing previous studies that were undertaken in the same region.

Methods: To collect the insects, four methods were used. These were Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) type light traps, white Shannon traps, manual aspiration in tree trunks, and sticky traps. For the investigation of infection with Leishmania, DNA samples from females were submitted to polymerase chain reactions (PCR), with amplification of the Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1) and cytochrome b (cytb) regions to detect Leishmania DNA and blood meal sources, respectively.

Results: A total of 4377 insects that were collected belonged to 15 genera and 46 species, with Nyssomyia shawi, Trichophoromyia sp. and Psychodopygus carrerai the most abundant. The highest population density of specimens collected was in CDC light traps (n = 2459), and the lowest was in sticky traps (n = 16). As for the molecular analysis, Ps. davisi was positive for a species of Trypanosomatidae, while Pintomyia serrana showed Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis DNA. For blood meal sources, we detected the DNA of Tamandua tetradactyla in Psathyromyia dendrophyla, and Homo sapiens in Lutzomyia sherlocki, Ps. carrerai and Ps. davisi.

Conclusion: The diversity of the sandfly fauna in Xapuri remains high, with new records of phlebotomine species and infections in different species of sandflies, so the region, as it is a hotspot for cutaneous leishmaniasis in Acre, must be constantly monitored.