Urban Entomology in Brazil: Short History, Big Challenges, Great Men

Abstract:
Brazil occupies nearly half of South America and is the fifth largest country in the world by geographical area. Brazil’s biodiversity reserves are the greatest in the world and urban pest diversity is not any different. It is estimated that 85 percent of the inhabitants in the country live in urban areas where urbanization processes have been chaotic in many regions. Tropical diseases are still common. Since the beginning of the 20th century Brazilian scientists have studied the transmission of the diseases by vector borne diseases, their distribution and biology. Research groups have been established throughout the country and research has been conducted on insects, mammals, and birds. In this work we report the most prominent researchers and the current research on urban pests and vector borne diseases in Brazil.