[Phlebotominae (Diptera: Psychodidae) of Lagoas, a city of Buriticupu, Amazonia of Maranhão. I. The richness and relative abundance of the species in an area of recent colonization].

In this study the diversity of the species and relative abundance of the sand flies in the Amazonian community of Lagoas, in Buriticupu, Maranhão State, was determined. The study consisted of adult sandflies captured with CD light-traps, Shannon-trap and manual aspiration tube, between 18 PM and 6 AM, once a month, from December/95 to January/97, in a forest fragment and in the domestic environment (peri and intra). In all, 9,393 specimens were captured (4,302 males and 5,140 females) distributed among 38 species (1 Brumptomyia and 37 Lutzomyia). The diversity and abundance of species was higher in the forest, followed by the peri and intra. The predominance in the wild ambient is a consequence of the potentialities found in the remaining fragments of the forest which have survived the lumber yard exploitation and agricultural activities. In the forest environment Lutzomyia whitmani (64.9%), L. migonei (27%) and L. serrana (3.6%) were the most frequent species. In the peri and intra domicile L. evandroi predominated (55.4% and 97.9%). The species, L. whitmani (33.4%) and L. migonei (6.4%), were important in the peri domicile. The peridomestic habit of 7.7% of the sand flies showed the greatest epidemiologic importance, due to the existence of patients with leishmaniasis ulcers, who believe they were infected near their habitations.