Introduction: Leishmaniasis is an infectious and parasitic zoonotic, non-contagious, vectorborne disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania. In Brazil, the major vector of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi (Cunha & Chagas, 1934) is Lutzomyia longipalpis. Barra do Garças, State of Mato Grosso, was designated as a priority area by the Brazilian Ministry of Health for american visceral leishmaniasis, and it is important to identify the vector species present in this municipality. Our objective was to raise sandflies and study the influence of environmental variables on the vector density of Lutzomyia longipalpis. Methods: We performed entomological monitoring in 3 districts using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light traps and recorded human cases of american visceral leishmaniasis in the city. We calculated the relative frequency and richness of sandflies and applied a transfer function model to the vector density correlate with relative humidity. Results: The sandfly population was composed of 2 genera and 27 species, totaling 8,097 individuals. Monitoring identified Lutzomyia longipalpis (44%), followed by Lutzomyia lenti (18.9%), Lutzomyia whitmani (13.9%), Lutzomyia carmelinoi (9.1%), Lutzomyia evandroi (5.1%), Lutzomyia termitophila (3.3%), Lutzomyia sordellii (1.9%), and 20 other species (<4%). The male:female ratio was 3.5:1. We observed high species diversity (Dα = 6.65). Lutzomyia longipalpis showed occurrence peaks during the rainy season; there was a temporal correlation with humidity, but not with frequency or temperature. Conclusions: The presence of Lutzomyia longipalpis in the urban area of Barra do Garças underscores the changing disease profile, which was previously restricted to the wild environment.

Identification of phlebotomine species in endemic areas is fundamental for analyzing the eco-epidemiological determinants of leishmaniasis. This study had the aim of investigating the phlebotomine fauna in an urban area and in a fragment of native savanna in the municipality of Pontal do Araguaia, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil, using CDC light traps. One hundred and twenty-three phlebotomine specimens belonging to seventeen different species were caught. Our results indicate synanthropic potential among vector species for leishmaniasis, such as the species Lutzomyia cruzi, L. sallesi and L. whitmani. The species L. cerradincola had never been recorded in this region, such that this is the first report of this species in the State of Mato Grosso.