Abstract

RODRIGUEZ, Claudia S.; CROCCO, Liliana B.  and  NATTERO, Julieta. Vectorial competence of Triatoma guasayana (Hemiptera: Reduviidae): feeding and defaecation patterns. Rev. Soc. Entomol. Argent. [online]. 2004, vol.63, n.1-2, pp.11-16. ISSN 0373-5680.

Among the vectors of Chagas disease, Triatoma guasayana (Wygodzinsky & Abalos) is a peridomestic species with epidemiological importance in Argentina. It could play an important role in the transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas) to man, in areas where Triatoma infestans (Klug) had been eliminated by insecticide spraying. The aim of this work was to evaluate two aspects of vectorial competence: feeding behaviour and defaecation patterns, and to compare them with publihed data on Triatoma sordida (Stal). These processes were studied in fifth instar nymphs fed ad libitum on a restrained pigeon. The results show blood meal size controlling excretion behaviour. The first defaecation was emitted at 4.8 ± 9.2 min, with 87.5% of the insects defaecating during the first 10 min post-feeding. The comparison with T. sordida shows that both species have a similar pattern of feeding and defaecation behaviour.

Keywords : Feeding behaviour; Defaecation pattern; Peridomestic; Chagas; Triatominae.

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