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The present study aimed to analyze the dynamics of containers used as breeding sites by Aedes aegypti (L.) in the city of Aracaju, SE, one of the Northeast Brazilian states. A total of three entomological surveys were performed during different precipitation levels. Breeding sites were categorized according to their function into storage, disposable containers, and reusable containers. "Mean number of pupae" and "frequency of each type of breeding site" were the criteria considered to identify key breeding sites. House index and Breteau index were calculated in each survey. A total of 3,647 water reservoirs were found, of which 220 were breeding sites, where 22,880 immature forms were identified. There were no differences in the mean number of larvae of several types of breeding sites and in the number of larvae among surveys. Larval indices showed a reduction in the second visit, but with no effect on adult occurrence when the number of pupae was considered. Key breeding sites resulted from containers used for water storage. The area studied showed conditions favorable to a new epidemic of dengue fever.

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We assessed the risk classification of dengue fever based on the capture of Aedes aegypti adults using MosquiTRAP, a Indicators based on traps for adult insects represent a more reliable alternative to larval indices because they estimate the mosquito density associated with the vectorial capacity and the risk of disease transmission. Among the several traps developed to monitor or to control the population of adult mosquitoes, MosquiTRAP can capture gravid females of Ae. aegypti and has shown positive results (Fávaro et al. 2006, 200�, Gama et al. 2007, �ourenço-de-Oliveira et al. 200�, Maciel-de-Freitas et al. 200�, Honório et al. 2009). Regardless of the technique used to estimate the vector infestation, measurement of epidemiological risk indicators is a challenge for To evaluate these risk classifications, a house-tohouse survey was performed in Porto Dantas (10º52'40"S 37º03'42W), a neighbourhood in Aracaju (Northeast Brazil) to collect baseline data. The district is divided by an avenue into two areas: one that is traditionally occupied, with defined and planned blocks of residential buildings, and another, which was recently and irregularly occupied, and is a slum. Most of the inhabitants of the latter area work as recycled garbage pickers and store the collected material in their backyard. All premises were included in the study and were searched for Ae. aegypti larvae and pupae breeding sites, both indoors and outdoors. If the premises were closed at the first visit (1�%), a second one was carried out over the weekend. The larval survey was conducted in November 200� over two weeks, encompassing 914 (79.4%) of the 1,150 lots in the neighbourhood, of which 53 (4.6%) were inspected on weekends. All immature forms of the insect were collected and the species were identified by the Parasitology �aboratory of the Federal University of Sergipe. Following the immature survey, MosquiTRAPs baited with synthetic oviposition attractant were placed in one randomly selected property on each of the 27 blocks. MosquiTRAPs were installed outdoors and monitored weekly over eight weeks in two rounds:

Introduction:The organophosphate temephos was first used in Brazil in the 1960s for the control of Aedes aegypti. Because of its extensive and longstanding use worldwide, selection for mosquito populations resistant to the chemical has been observed not only in different regions of Brazil but also in several parts of the world. The objective of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility of Ae. aegypti to the organophosphate temephos, a larvicide used in vector control activities in Sergipe/Northeast Brazil. Methods: This study included mosquito populations from seven municipalities of Sergipe and was carried out from October 2010 to August 2011. Qualitative bioassays of diagnostic dose and dose responses were performed. The resistance ratio was calculated based on lethal concentrations for mosquitoes of the susceptible Rockefeller strain. Results: All populations were classified as resistant to temephos. The resistance ratio ranged from 22.2 to 297.9, the lowest being seen in Aracaju, a coastal area of the state, and the highest in Pinhão, a semi-arid region, 96.6km from Aracaju. Conclusions: High levels of temephos resistance were observed in the Ae. aegypti populations of Sergipe. The variation between regions indicates that there have been different regimes of insecticide use and also points to the potential of small cities to generate and spread insecticide resistance.

Currently the best way to avoid new dengue epidemics is to control the mosquito vector Aedes aegypti. This study thus aimed to identify and analyze the spatial distribution of "key premises" for Ae. aegypti in Aracaju, Sergipe State, Brazil. Three entomological surveys were performed prior to, during, and after the dengue epidemic and in different conditions of precipitation: the end of the rainy season, beginning of the rainy season, and the dry season. Key premises were identified by positivity in more than one survey and presence of pupae. Spatial distribution and dispersal of mosquitoes used analysis of point patterns, with the kernel and buffer density estimator. Key premises were responsible for maintaining infestation of the area, independently of environmental conditions and the period in the epidemic, serving as foci generating mosquitoes that can spread to areas adjacent to the neighborhood. Thus, in order to be more effective, vector control measures should target these properties.

Mosquito fauna in the northeast semiarid region of Brazil, Caatinga biome, are poorly known. Studies on the diversity are scarce and the few surveys available focus on local fauna. In order to understand the ecological pattern of mosquito’s distribution, information available from studies from 2008 to 2015 were gathered. A partitioning framework of the beta diversity, the turnover (βJTU) and nestedness (βJNE) components were used to determine dissimilarity among communities. Eighty-two morphospecies were recorded and 47 of the species were not shared between the areas. The most representative genera were Aedes, Anopheles, Psorophora, Haemagogus, Coquillettidia, and Mansonia, which all include species of medical interest. The communities had high rates of variation, and the mechanism of turnover accounted for the observed diversity pattern. Despite differences in collection methods, the observed dissimilarity may be related to the broad environmental heterogeneity of the biome, the intrinsic relationships of the species with their habitats, and the environmental degradation caused by different types of anthropogenic interference. Considering the mosquito species richness and endemicity, the hypothesis that the Caatinga harbor poor biodiversity is rejected. The spatial variation observed is of particular importance and should be taken into account for the knowledge of Caatinga biodiversity.