Maruins (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) que atacam o homem na área costeira do estado do Pará e estuário do Rio Pará

Abstract

The insects that make up the Ceratopogonidae family are commonly known as maruins. They are small nematothermic diptera, measuring 1 to 6mm in length. This family has four subfamilies: Ceratopogoninae, Leptoconopinae, Forcipomyiinae, and Dasyheleinae. The first one has medical and veterinary importance, because its main genus (Culícoides Latreille) has maruins that attack humans and other vertebrate animals for blood in almost all parts of the world. The genera Leptoconops (Leptoconopinae) and Forcipomyiia (Forcipomyiinae) have species that have been seen sucking humans and vertebrate animals. The other groups of maruins are in general predators of smaller insects and ectoparasites of larger insects, and therefore have no medical-veterinary importance. The present work aims to study, in qualitative and seasonal terms, the species of maruins that attack humans in the coastal areas of the state of Pará and the estuary of the Pará River. The experiment is being conducted in the municipalities of São Caetano de Odivelas (marine coast), Outeiro, Belém (estuary of the Pará River) and Mocambo, Belém (dryland forest). Collections are made every two months in each of the study areas. Two collection methods are used, human bait and CDC-type traps. The insects collected by these methods are placed on blankets that are properly identified with field data and later mounted on slides for identification. So far, five collections have been made in São Caetano de Odivelas and two in Outeiro. In São Caetano, 458 specimens of ceratopogonids captured with traps were collected, with a predominance of the genus Culícoides. Two other families of insects of medical and veterinary importance were also sampled: Culicidae with 17 specimens and Phlebotomidae with 43 specimens. In Outeiro (municipality of Belém) two collections were made. Among the insects captured with traps, there was a predominance of Phlebotornidae. There was also a greater diversity of Ceratopogonidae genera. Collections with human bait were also performed in São Caetano and Outeiro with a good number of species and specimens collected by time of day and taking measurements of temperature, humidity and light. The collections in Mocambo were not performed due to road problems during the winter. The insects are being prepared on slides and identified.