Contribution to the knowledge of the phlebotomine sand flies fauna (Diptera: psychodidae) of Timóteo municipality, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

An investigation of the phlebotomine sandfloy fauna in the municipality of Timóteo, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, was undertaken with New Jersey traps placed in seven neighborhoods from December 2005 to January 2006. A total of 2,289 phlebotomine sandfloy specimens were recorded. Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho) (48.1%), Nyssomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva) (36.8%) and Micropygomyia quinquefer (Dyar) (7.1%) were the most abundant species sampled. Some sandfloy species that play a role in the transmission of Leishmania Ross in the State of Minas Gerais were recorded and their importance to public health is highlighted. Pintomyia bianchigalatiae (Andrade Filho, Aguiar, Dias & Falcão), Micropygomyia capixaba (Dias, Falcão, Silva & Martins), Micropygomyia schreiberi (Martins, Falcão & Silva) and Psathyromyia pascalei (Coutinho & Barretto) are recorded for the first time in the municipality of Timóteo, and Pressatia choti (Floch & Abonnenc) is recorded for the first time in the State of Minas Gerais.