The involvement of different sand fly species in the transmission of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) at different altitudes was evaluated in the municipality of Afonso Cláudio in the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil, from November 1995 to February 1997. CDC light traps and Shannon traps baited with human volunteers were hung simultaneously at three altitudes of a river valley: (a) 650-750 m in an area of active ACL transmission; (b) 750-850 m in a transitional area; and (c) 850-950 m in an area where no ACL transmission occurred. A total of 13,363 specimens belonging to 28 species was collected. The five most abundant man-biting species were Lutzomyia intermedia, which constituted 24.3% of the total,
Lu. migonei (22.3%),
Lu. whitmani (15.4%),
Lu. fischeri (14.9%) and
Lu. monticola (5.8%). Analysis of the distribution of these species at the three altitudes provided evidence that
Lu. fischeri and
Lu. monticola were not involved in ACL transmission, whereas
Lu. migonei and
Lu. whitmani might act as secondary vectors of
Leishmania
(
Viannia) braziliensis and
Lu. intermedia was probably the principal vector of the parasite. These results reinforce those published in the existing literature, which indicate that
Lu. intermedia is the main vector of
Le. (V.) braziliensis in Southeast Brazil, while
Lu. migonei and
Lu. whitmani are of secondary importance.
