The specimen distribution pattern of a species can be used to characterise a population of interest and also
provides area-specific guidance for pest management and control. In the municipality of Dracena, in the state of
São Paulo, we analysed 5,889
Lutzomyia longipalpis
specimens collected from the peridomiciles of 14 houses in a
sector where American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) is transmitted to humans and dogs. The goal was to analyse the
dispersion and a theoretical fitting of the species occurrence probability. From January-December 2005, samples
were collected once per week using CDC light traps that operated for 12-h periods. Each collection was considered
a sub-sample and was evaluated monthly. The standardised Morisita index was used as a measure of dispersion.
Adherence tests were performed for the log-series distribution. The number of traps was used to adjust the octave
plots. The quantity of
Lu. longipalpis in the sector was highly aggregated for each month of the year, adhering to
a log-series distribution for 11 of the 12 months analysed. A sex-stratified analysis demonstrated a pattern of aggregated
dispersion adjusted for each month of the year. The classes and frequencies of the traps in octaves can be
employed as indicators for entomological surveillance and AVL control.
