[Phlebotomine sandflies in the southeast of Lara state, Venezuela]

The report of 522 cases of American cutaneous leishmaniasis between the years 1988 to 2002 in Lara State (specifically in the southeast where there was an increase of cases) prompted the study of the vectors species involved in transmission.

To determine the abundance, diversity and distribution of sandflies during one year in 11 populations located between 600 and 1600 meters above sea level and the relationship of their abundance to climatic elements.

CDC traps placed in domestic, peridomestic and woodland areas around houses where cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis had been reported were used for the captures (18:00 to 06:00 hours) and Shannon traps were used in the environs of these houses between 19:30 to 22:50 hours.

10.326 specimens were identified (8.867 females and 1.459 males) with a diversity of 11 species, where Lutzomyia youngi (Feliciangeli & Murillo 1987), was the most abundant species (96.54%), followed by Lutzomyia ovallesi (Ortiz, 1952) with 2.9%. L. youngi showed predilection for peridomestic areas and presented greater activity from 19:30 to 20:30 hours (Shannon). The population of Las Maticas (1360 meters above sea level) presented the highest abundance with an annual peak which coincided with the end of the dry period and the first rains of the rainy period (unimodal regime), the highest monthly average temperature (24 degrees C) and the lowest monthly humidity of the year (70%).

This information allows us to know the population, climatic variables and time of the year when the probability of transmission of the disease increases due to the abundance of the vector species.