Description of a new phlebotomine species, Martinsmyia reginae sp. nov. (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) from a cave in the state of Tocantins Brazil

Abstract

Phlebotomines are invertebrate hosts of Leishmania species, which cause leishmaniases and are responsible for the transmission of Leishmania to humans and other mammals. They are also the vectors of arboviruses and the causative agents of bartonellosis and their bites cause allergic reactions (Young & Duncan 1994). Caves are ecotopes that are significantly different from their external surrounding environments and sand flies are constantly found among the insects that live in caves or visit their surrounding areas (Andrade Filho et al. 2001, Galati et al. 2006. Several caves are opened to tourists before any scientific studies are conducted and as a result, valuable geological and biological information about the caves is lost.The present paper describes a new species of sand fly that was captured in 1965 in a cave located in the municipal district of Arraias in the southeastern region of the state of Tocantins (TO) at a distance of 413 km from Palmas, the capital of the state. The cave, which was previously known as Lapa das Cabeceiras and is now called Grutas da Lapa, consists of four large rooms that are about 40 m long and 20 m high. MATERIALS AND METHODSSand flies were mounted in Canada balsam, measured with a binocular Olympus CH-2 microscope that was fitted with a micrometer objective and drawn with the help of a camera lucida. The measurements are given in micrometers. The nomenclature and classification is identical to the nomenclature and classification that was previously proposed by Galati (2003) and the abbreviations are identical to the abbreviations of the names for the phlebotomine genera by Marcondes (2007). The description of the new species was based on six females and eight males, which were associated by their morphological characteristics and by their capture locations and times and includes all of the specimens from both sexes in the same genus and group. Martinsmyia reginae sp. nov. (Figs 1-9)Male: sand fly of medium size, measurement ca. 2.868 (2.680 ± 128.4; n = 7) in length, general colour light brown. Head (Fig. 1) : four hundred and fourteen (424 ± 9.0; n = 7) long and 294 (300 ± 15.7; n = 7) wide. Head length/head width ratio 1.41:1 (1.42 ± 0.08 n = 7). Clypeus 143 (148 ± 8.3; n = 7) long; clypeus length/head length ratio 0.35:1 (0.35: 1 ± 0.01; n = 7). Eye 143 (156 ± 13.2; n = 7) long and 91 (96 + 12.2; n = 7) wide; eye length/head length ratio 0.35:1 (0.37:1 ± 0.03; n = 7). Interocular distance 124 (123 ± 9.4; n = 7). Labrum-epipharynx (LE) 271 (294 ± 11.5; n = 7). LE/head length ratio 0.65:1 (0.69 ± 0.03; n = 7). Antenna with simple and short ascoid. Antennomere lengths: AIII 316 (329 ± 12.3; n = 7); AIV 147 (144 ± 5.9; n = 7); AV 147 (144 ± 5.9; n = 7); AXV < AXVI (AXV < AXVI; n = 4). AIII, AIV, AXIV, AXV, AXVI with papilla; ratios: AIII/head length 0.76:1 (0.78:1 ± 0.03; n = 7); AIII/LE 1.17:1 (1.12:1 ± 0.04; n = 7). Palpal formula 1.4.2.3.5 [1.4.2.3.5; n = 5 and 1.4.(2,3).5; n = 2]. Palpomere lengths: P1 36 (32 ± 3.4; n = 7); P2 151 (154 ± 10.7; n = 7); P3 157 (158 ± 8.0; n = ...

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

“…Initial studies of phlebotomine fauna in TO focused on the description of species (Barreto 1946, Martins et al 1962, 1964, 1975); further entomological studies identified 32 sandfly species in the state (Lustosa et al 1968, Andrade Filho et al 2001), including the new species Micropygomyia (Silvamyia) echinatopharynx and Martinsmyia reginae (Andrade Filho et al 2004, Carvalho et al 2010). These findings indicate a great diversity of sandfly species in TO.…”

Sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) from caves of the quartzite Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais, Brazil

“…Alves et al (2008) described Lutzomyia maruaga, which was captured in the aphotic zone of a sandstone cave in AM. Carvalho et al (2010) described Martinsmyia reginae, captured in a cave in the state of Tocantins, and Carvalho et al (2011a) described Evandromyia spelunca, found in a cave in Lassance, MG. In the present study, an undescribed species (Lutzomyia sp.)…”

Hourly Activity and Natural Infection of Sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) Captured from the Aphotic Zone of a Cave, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

“…Recently, a new species of sandfly, Lutzomyia maruaga (Alves, Freitas & Barret 2008) was found in a cave in the Amazon region, which shows that it is at least facultatively parthenogenetic and autogenic, as previously observed for Lutzomyia mamedei by Brazil and Oliveira [20], and therefore regarded as a kind of troglobite. Other studies have also described new species of sandflies reported from cave environments [8], [9]. Evandromyia spelunca is a new phlebotomine species of the cortelezzii complex described from this cave [9].…”

“…The number of sandflies found is increasing rapidly, with descriptions of new species every year, including species associated with caves [7], [8], [9]. However, with regard to biology, there is still a large gap in the understanding of these insects.…”