Influence of Deforestation on the Community Structure of Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Eastern Amazonia.

Variation in the structure of phlebotomine (sand fly) communities in forest fragments with different degrees of preservation and human occupation (peridomicile) in eastern Amazonia was studied. We identified 43 species of sand flies in our study, of which 38 occurred in both preserved forest areas and in the peridomiciles of short-term settlements, while another 28 species occurred in altered forest fragments and long-term settlements. The composition of the community at each site changed with the type of environment (forest or peridomicile), with the species Lutzomyia evandroi, L. whitmani, L. choti, L. serrana, L. triacantha, L. migonei, L. hirsuta, L. shannoni, and L. brachyphylla accounting for more than 54% of the differences among environments. The quality of the environment exerted a significant influence on the structure of phlebotomine communities, and affected their species composition, richness, and abundance.