[Phlebotomine behavior in forest and extraforest environments, in an endemic area of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in northern Paraná State, southern Brazil].

Between November 1988 and April 1990, 75,637 phlebotomines were captured with the use of Falcão light traps on Palmital farm in the north of Paraná State, Brazil. Fifteen species were represented. The percentage of 95.8% of the insects were captured within the domiciliary area and the remaining 4.2% in the forest environment. The percentage of 62 were captured in one single Falcão light trap installed in a henhouse, where Blancasmya migonei predominated. In all the other traps Psychodopygus whitmani was predominant. B. migonei, P. whitmani, Pintomyia pessoai, Pintomyia fischeri and Psychodopygus intermedius are highly significant vectors of American cutaneous leishmaniasis and represented 93.8% of all phlebotomines captured with 10 Falcão light traps. The monthly densities of these insects were obtained from one Falcão light trap installed in a henhouse and increased especially in the warmer and more humid months. In the forest environment the phlebotomines were captured principally in traps installed about 10 meters above the ground and P. whitmani, B. migonei, P. intermedius, Brumptomyia brumpti, Psychodopygus monticola and P. pessoai were the dominant species. The need for information about the epidemiology of American cutaneous leishmaniasis calls for further investigation with a view to clarifying the implications of the relationship between the phlebotomines and domestic animals in the Leishmania cycle of transmission in domiciliary areas.