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Fauna of Culicidae (Diptera) found in the internodes of the bamboo in a residual forest in the urban area of Londrina - Paraná, Brazil

A fragment of a forest, located in the urban area of Londrina, Paraná, Brazil, was chosen to represent the area for this study. Many Merostachys Spreng, 1824 bamboo, which were naturally perforated and, therefore, ready to retain water, were found in the interior of this forest. Bamboo were collected every fifteen days during field actions. They were then measured and cut meter by meter before their contents were analyzed in the laboratory. A total of 542 specimens from the following species were collected during one year: Sabethes aurescens (Lutz, 1905), Sabethes melanomymphe Dyar, 1924, Sabethes identicus Dyar & Knab, 1907, Wyeomyia rooti (Del Ponte, 1939), Wyeomyia limai Lane & Cerqueira, 1942, Wyeomyia sp., Trichoprosopon pallidiventer (Lutz, 1905), Trichoprosopon humboldti Lane & Cerqueira, 1942, Toxorhynchites sp. e Shannoniana schedocyclium (Dyar & Knab, 1908). Wyeomyia limai and Sabethes aurescens were the most frequently found species. The first specie had the highest population index in february whereas the Sabethes aurescens, had its highest index in july, february and november. The largest number of larvae were obtained in the months of february and march. As for stratification, the greatest quantity of larvae was found at two meters. The specie Wyeomyia limai predominated in all heights, being most abundant at three meters high whereas the Sabethes was most abundant at one meter high. The presence of bamboo in small forest spots in urban areas is enough to host a certain variety of Culicidae of the Sabethini tribe which are considered wild mosquito. These same mosquito, due to their hematophagus habitat, can be hazardous to public health.

Culicidae; larvae; bamboo internodes; natural breeding place


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