Morphometric and Phenetic Studies of Five Geographical Populations of Lutzomyia whitmani (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Brazil E. S. DIAS, R. A. BARATA, C. L. FORTES-DIAS, 1 R. P. BRAZIL, J. C. MIRANDA, 2 S. BRANDA ˜ O FILHO, 3 AND P. M. LINARDI 4 Laborato ´ rio de Leishmanioses, Centro de Pesquisas Rene ´ , Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Av. Augusto de Lima 1715, 30190 Ð 002, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil J. Med. Entomol. 36(6): 846Ð850 (1999) ABSTRACT A morphometric survey examined adult specimens of Lutzomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho) captured at 5 municipalities in southeastern and northeastern Brazil to compare the populations. The localities were Ilhe ´ us (Bahia), Martinho Campos (Minas Gerais), Corte de Pedra (Bahia), Baturite ´ (Ceara ´ ), and Amaraji (Pernambuco); all are known foci of American cutaneous leishmaniasis. Fifteen males and 15 females from each population were analyzed morphometrically for 42 and 37 characters, respectively. Statistical data alone were insufÞcient to discriminate among the 5 populations. Further analysis generated phenograms that indicated there were 2 spatial clusters: the 1st was composed of specimens from Ilhe ´ us (Bahia) and Baturite ´ (Ceara ´ ) and the 2nd of specimens from Martinho Campos (Minas Gerais), Corte de Pedra (Bahia), and Amaraji (Pernam- buco). Although insufÞcient to deÞne the taxonomic status of the populations studied, the results delineated the existence of biogeographical structuring within L. whitmani. Complementary studies on the susceptibility to Leishmania braziliensis infection in the 5 populations are in progress to clarify the relationship between the 2 biogeographical clusters and American cutaneous leishmaniasis transmission in those Brazilian regions. KEY WORDS Lutzomyia whitmani, sand ßy, phenetics, geographical variation, Brazil Lutzomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho) is a sand ßy species in the subgenus Nyssomyia that is prevalent at foci of leishmaniasis in Minas Gerais and Bahia in southeastern Brazil (Mayrink et al. 1979, Rosa et al. 1988, Passos et al. 1993). The association of human cases with natural infections of Leishmania parasites (braziliensis complex) in L. whitmani has incriminated this species as a vector of human American cutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil (Hoch et al. 1986, De Queiroz et al. 1994). The transmission of leishmaniasis has been associated with L. whitmani for many years in the southern and southeastern regions of Brazil (1930 Ð 1950). During that period, L. whitmani was restricted to sylvatic areas (Marzochi 1989). Later, this sand ßy appeared in banana plantation and peridomestic hab- itats (Marzochi 1989), demonstrating its adaptability to environmental modiÞcations by humans. Further Þeld studies at municipalities within the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais) conÞrmed the peridomestic transmission of leishmaniasis in periur- ban areas where L. whitmani is the predominant sand ßy (Passos et al. 1993). Recently, Rangel et al. (1996) observed the exis- tence of 2 geographically isolated forms of L. whitmani 1 Centro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, FUNED, R. Conde Pereira Carneiro 80, 30510 Ð 010, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. 2 Centro de Pesquisa Gonc ¸ alo Muniz, R. Valdemar Falca ˜ o 121, 40295Ð 001, Salvador, BA, Brasil. 3 Centro de Pesquisa Aggeu Magalha ˜ es, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego s/n, 50670-420, Recife, PE, Brasil. 4 Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Anto ˆ nio Carlos 6627, 31270-010, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. Fig. 1. Distribution of localities used for sand ßy captures in Brazil. 0022-2585/99/0846Ð0850$02.00/0  1999 Entomological Society of America