title: Feeding patterns of Haemagogus capricornii and Haemagogus leucocelaenus (Diptera: Culicidae) in two Brazilian states (Rio de Janeiro and Goiás).
abstract: We present the identification of bloodfeeding sources of Haemagogus (Haemagogus) capricornii Lutz and Haemagogus (Conopostegus) leucocelaenus (Dyar & Shannon) (Diptera: Culicidae) from different regions of Brazil, as analyzed by precipitin tests. Anti-sera for bird, bovine, equine, human, opossum, and rodent were used. Two hundred one mosquitoes were examined (147 Hg. leucocelaenus and 54 Hg. capricornii), of which 177 reacted for some anti-serum. For Hg. leucocelaenus, 86 (68.3%) reacted to one blood source, 38 (30.2%) to two sources, and two (1.6%) to three sources; the combinations of bird + human (18.4%), bird + rodent (15.8%), and bird + marsupial (15.8%) were the most frequent. For Hg. capricornii, 34 (66.7%) reacted to one blood source; combinations bird + rodent (37.5%) and bird + marsupial (25%) were the most frequent combinations. Mosquito preference for bloodfeeding sources was different in these areas, possibly because of the availability of sources. This diversity of sources can have important epidemiological implications.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Diptera, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, 20945-900 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. jalencar@ioc.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: Jeronimo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alencar
authors.forename: Carlos Brisola
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Marcondes
authors.forename: Nicolau Maués
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Serra-Freire
authors.forename: Elias Seixas
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Lorosa
authors.forename: Juliana Barreto
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Pacheco
authors.forename: Anthony Erico
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Guimarães
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil; D009033:Culicidae / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008322:Mammals / Q000097:blood