Development of Leishmania mexicana and Leishmania amazonensis in Lutzomyia evansi (Díptera: Psychodidae, Phlebotomine)

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to study the morphological changes in the development of Leishmania mexicana (MMOM/VE/72/AZV) and L. amazonensis (IFLA/BR/67/PI18) in Lutzomyia euansi. Pernales of Lu. euansi fed on a hamster tarsal lesion and were examined for infection at 24 h intervals from 24 h to 168 h post- feeding. The pattern of development of Le. mexicana and Le. amazonensis in Lu. euansi was suprapylarian consistentwith what has been described forspecies of the Le. mexicana complex. Transformaron from amastigote to procyclical forms occurred in both species at 24 - 48 h post-infection. The parasites showed their adaptauon lo the gut environment of Lu. euansi and development to mature forms: nectomonads, haptomonads and pararnastigotes. The paramastigote form was observed in low percentage at 120 h post-infected ingestion in both species. The early depletion of nutrients in Lu. euansi, due to a faster rate of digestion (3 to 4 days), could explain the low percentage of development reaching the paramastigote forms and the absence of the metacyclical forms in this model.