Ecological Determinants of Forest to the Abundance of Lutzomyia longiflocosa in Tello, Colombia

Abstract EN

Lutzomyia longiflocosa is considered the most likely vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the sub-Andean region of the upper valley of the Magdalena River between 1,000 and 2,000 meters in the Department of Huila, Colombia.

L.

longiflocosa is anthropophilic, has endophagic behavior, and is especially important since its dominance in epidemics recorded in the last decade in the departments of Huila, Tolima, and the outbreak in Norte de Santander.

The aim of our work is to identify ecological determinants in forest microhabitat level defining the abundance of L.

longiflocosa.

We use sampling; this was performed in 56 microhabitats of 28 forests with CDC traps for two consecutive nights from 18:00 to 06:00 hours.

Each microhabitat (favorable and unfavorable) was located 10 m from the ecotone, with an approximate area of 10 m2.

Thirty-five variables were examined as potential explanatory variables which were recorded in each microhabitat.

Regression models were used to identify ecological determinants.

Our results confirm that there are favorable microhabitats in the forest with specific ecological determinants that define the aggregated distribution of the species and provide the conditions necessary for survival and abundance of L.

longiflocosa.