Attraction of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) to light traps in rural areas of Minas Gerais State,Brazil

The objective of this study was to detect phlebotomine sand fly vector species by using light traps, and thus determine the risk of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) transmission in rural areas of the Vi?osa microregion, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Sand flies were captured with Shannon-like and Falc?o light traps hung between 1830 and 2230 h on 22 nights. Four sampling points where CL transmission occurs naturally were chosen. A total of 888 sand flies was collected. The most abundant species was Lutzomyia intermedia. Shannon-like traps caught significantly more L. intermedia, perhaps because of a greater surface area on which the insects can land or because they reflect more light. The positive phototaxis observed in L. intermedia and L. whitmani may pose a greater risk of transmission of Leishmania in houses where an external light source is situated close to a light-colored wall that reflects light and that have adjacent bushes or trees and domestic animal shelters within 50 m.