Lutzomyia gasparviannai Martins, Godoy and Silva, 1962, probable vector of Leishmania mexicana spp. in Viana Municipality, Espirito Santo State, Brazil

In a recent investigation on reservoir hosts of Leishmania among wild animals in the Viana municipality, two samples of parasites of the Leishmania mexicana complex were isolated from spiny-rats, Proechimys iheringi . The stocks were characterized by radio immune binding assay using species and subspecies specific monoclonal antibodies to members of L. mexicana complex. They showed patterns distinct from L. mexicana and L. mexicana amazonensis . One of the stocks was indistinguishable from the reference strain of Leishmania mexicana aristedesi , isolated from wild animals in Panama. The authors have been investigating on the feeding habits of the phlebotomine sandflies in relation to man and Proechimys, in the forest area where the infected rodents were caught. Of 320 sandflies, 314 were identified as Lutzomyia gasparviannai , indicating this species as the probable vector of the parasite among the rodents. No specimens of Lu. gasparviannai were found among 355 phlebotomines caught feeding on man. These data suggest that the parasite here named Leishmania mexicana spp. is not usually transmitted to humans.