title: Ecological aspects and molecular detection of Leishmania DNA Ross (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) in phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in terra firme and várzea environments in the Middle Solimões Region, Amazonas State, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are insects of medical importance due to the role that some species play in the transmission of leishmaniasis. This work aimed to study some ecological aspects among sand flies fauna inhabiting two different environments: the várzea (lowland Amazonian forest) and terra firme (upland Amazonian forest), both located in Tefé Municipality, Amazonas State, Braziland to detect Leishmania infection in those phlebotomine populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sand flies were collected using HP light traps. Collection took place over the course of six months: January, February, April, August, September, and October of 2013. To detect natural infection by Leishmania, DNA samples were extracted from female sand flies and submitted to Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) targeting the kDNA gene; Leishmania species were identified by PCR-RFLP targeting the hsp70 gene and genetic sequencing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 5,716 individuals were collected, and 46 species were identified. Trichophoromyia ubiquitalis (3,330 - 58.26%) and Nyssomyia antunesi (661 - 11.26%) were the most abundant species. Species richness was greater in terra firme environments (42 species) than in the várzea environments (22 species), and forests ecotopes (43 species) were richer than peridomiciles (28 species). DNA of Leishmania was found in Th. ubiquitalis and Psychodopygus davisi, both of which inhabit the terra firme environment and sequencing analysis confirmed the presence of Leishmania (Viannia) lainsoni DNA in Th. ubiquitalis in Tefé Municipality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high abundance of Th. ubiquitalis and Ps. davisi and detection of DNA of Leishmania sp. may indicate that both species could be putative vectors for American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ACL) in the terra firme environment of Tefé. The sand fly fauna found in várzea is rich and diverse, exhibiting several species, nevertheless the seasonal hydric stress during part of the year that could influence the local diversity, if compared with other studies. This is the first report in Amazonas State of Th. ubiquitalis with presence of L. (V.) lainsoni DNA.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia/Fiocruz Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil. junior.ampj@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Antonio Marques
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pereira Júnior
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis da Amazônia (EDTA) - Centro de Pesquisa Leônidas e Maria Deane - Fiocruz Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. carolinateles@fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Carolina Bioni Garcia
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Teles
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis da Amazônia (EDTA) - Centro de Pesquisa Leônidas e Maria Deane - Fiocruz Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. paulaazevedo.2011@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ana Paula
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: de Azevedo dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisa Gonçalo Moniz - Fiocruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. rodriguesmsb@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Moreno
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Souza Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis da Amazônia (EDTA) - Centro de Pesquisa Leônidas e Maria Deane - Fiocruz Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. ericmarialva304@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Eric Fabrício
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Marialva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis da Amazônia (EDTA) - Centro de Pesquisa Leônidas e Maria Deane - Fiocruz Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. facpessoa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Felipe Arley Costa
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Pessoa
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis da Amazônia (EDTA) - Centro de Pesquisa Leônidas e Maria Deane - Fiocruz Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. jmedeiro@gmail.com.|Laboratório de Entomologia - Fiocruz Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil. jmedeiro@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jansen Fernandes
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Medeiros
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D050884:HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology; D007891:Leishmania / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D050884:HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins