ANTHROPOPHILIC BEHAVIOR OF AEDES-ALBOPICT US (SKUSE) (DIPTERA, CULICIDAE) IN THE VALE-DO-PARAIBA REGION, SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL

Introduction The epidemiological role of Aedes albopictus has been inv estigated in the State of S. Paulo by the study of its biological and ecological characteristics. The biting activity of Ae.albopictus takin g stationary and moving collectors as parameters, is determined. Mater ial and Method The study area was a small farm located in the periurba n lone of Tremembe city, Vale do Paraiba, State of S. Paulo, Brazil. A edes albopictus was caught by using two human-bait modalities. One las ted 24 hours as the collectors remained sitting in only one place and in the other the collectors visited 48 different points for five minut es each over a total period of four hours In the morning and the after noon. Both catches,were made once a month for the period of a year (19 89/90). Results The 24 catches undertaken yielded 637 females of Ae.al bopictus, of which 54 (8.4%) and 583 (91.6%) corresponded respectively to fixed and moving human-bait conditions. An analysis of the data wa s mane to discover rite influence of host movement as attracting stimu lus for Ae.albopictus. The biting activity took place during the day w ith peaks at 6:00 a.m., 1:00-2:00 p.m and the highest between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. The majority of the adults,were collected during the summer and autumn and the moving catches were positive for Ae.albopictus thr oughout the year Rainfall and rising temperature were correlated to th e abundance of this species. Conclusion This study has shown the compl ex influence of the endogenous and exogenous factors minting to the bl ood feeding habit of Ae.albopictus. However it seems clear that its bi ting behavior depends on two distinct flights. On one, the blood feedi ng is obtained by the flight direct to the host, over a small supposed ly short distance, and another less significant apetente flight,when c ollectors were in a stationary position. The biting activity rook plac e during the day and may occur all year round.