Biting activity of two anthropophilic species of sandflies, Lutzomyia, in an endemic area of leishmaniasis in Ecuador

Abstract

The biting patterns of Lutzomyia trapidoi and Lu. hartmanni, vectors of leishmaniasis, were studied using a human bait in an endemic area on the Pacific slope of the Andes in Ecuador. The results suggest that Lu. trapidoi is primarily an early biter at dusk, with the first peak at 20.00-21.00 hours and the second at 03.00-04.00 hours; and that Lu. hartmanni bites more constantly throughout the night, with a pronounced peak between 23.00 and 24.00 hours. The biting activity, however, shows a marked variation at each site and between different collections at the same site. The activity and the biting places on man are discussed in relation to human infection with leishmaniasis in the area and the location of lesions on patients.