Abundance and parity rate of Lutzomyia cruciata (Diptera:Psychodidae) in an endemic focus of localized cutaneous leishmaniasis in southern Mexico.

Human bait catches were carried out from 5 through 27 March 1994 in an endemic focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the state of Campeche, Mexico. Females of Lutzomyia cruciata (Coquillet) were dissected and 67% were parous. The number of total and parous females collected per day was analyzed by time series, but neither the gonotrophic cycle length nor survivorship could be estimated. However, a survival rate per oviposition cycle of 0.68 was estimated from the least square regression of parous on total females. Additional evidence for L. cruciata as a vector of human leishmaniasis is discussed.