During one year (October, 1981 through September, 1982) captures of sandflies were simultaneously performed on human baits places on the ground and on a platform built at the canopy of a tree ten meters above the ground, in the National Park of Serra dos Órgãos, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Lutzomyia fischeri showed a decided preference to feed at the canopy, where it was the most numerous species. L. sp. 1 (a new hitherto undescribed, species) was also more frequent at the same level. L. shannoi was more ecletic, being captured mostly near the ground. All specimens of L. ayrozay (the most abundant species), L. pessoai, L. davisi, L. microps, L. monticola and L. sp. 2 (another non identified species) were only caught on baits at ground level. Few L. hirsuta (the second most numerous species) were obtained at the canopy, being the dominant sandfly near the ground during the cooler and drier months of the year. A point worth considering, besides the acrodendrophily of L. fischeri, is the preference of L. ayrozay to bite on the lower parts of the body, which leads us to suppose that its natural resting sites are fallen leaves on the ground, in the forest. Among the environmental factors which influence the stratification of the sandflies in the forest we regard luminosity to be predominent, as all specimens caught while feeding at the canopy were obtained in the darker nights (new moon and crescent) and none in the brighter nights (full moon and wane).