The Cimicidae (Hemiptera) are known to be blood ectoparasites primarily on birds and bats. Three species of the subfamily Haematosiphoninae are known from Argentina: Acanthocrios furnarii, Ornithocoris toledoi, and Psitticimex uritui; all feed on diverse avian hosts. The chromosome number and male meiosis of A. furnarii, and P. uritui from new Argentinean samples are analyzed and compared with previous data. The sample of A. furnarii described by Ueshima (1966) with 2n = 32 + XY (male), strikingly differs from the present results (2n = 10 + XY, male). The diploid number of P. uritui agree with the previously reported by Ueshima (1966), 2n = 28 + X 1 X 2 Y (male). Taxonomical implications about the identity of A. furnarii are discussed and the mechanisms of the karyotype evolution of species belonging to Haematosiphoninae are proposed.

Highlights d Bedbugs arose 115 mya, 30+ Ma before their assumed host, bats d From unknown ancestral hosts, several bat and bird host lineages evolved d Humans became hosts three times by host extension of specialists, not host switching d Two urban pests, common and tropical bedbug, split ca. 40 Ma before Homo speciation

Insects found in the nests of Anumbius annumbi (Vieillot) [Aves: Furnariidae] from the provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, and La Pampa (Argentina) were studied. A total of 20 nests was sampled every 21 days in Buenos Aires, together with the insects found under ritidome of Eucalyptus in the same area. Samples from nests were divided by seasons: end of summer [nest 1]; autumn [nests 2 to 6]; winter [nests 7 to 12]; spring [nests 13 to 16]; summer [nests 17 to 19], and beginning of autumn [nest 20]. A total of 92 species of insects was found, of which only 36 species had been previously reported in the literature from 1943 until 2005. Additional nests were sampled from Santa Fe (3 nests), Entre Ríos (1 nest), and La Pampa (4 nests). Species richness, abundance and diversity per nest are given and discussed. Insects in birds´nests are classified according to their functional guilds (predators; hematophages and parasitoids; detritivores; phytophages and fungivorous); degree of permanence in the nests (temporal inhabitants [hibernants]; permanent inhabitants; accidentals and/or occasionals). Mortality among the insect fauna inside the nests and other dead insects found inside nests, probably prey remains, are cited. The insect fauna under the ritidome of Eucalyptus permits establishment of a habitat gradient: species only found in the nests, species mainly found in the nests and rarely under the ritidome, species found both under the ritidome and in the nests, species mainly found under ritidome and seldom in the nests, and species only found under the ritidome. Comments and remarks are made on selected taxa lacking or with limited biological data. The microhabitat in the tunnels of Ctenomys [Rodentia] is compared with the birds’nests regarding its similar insect fauna. Inquiline birds and mammals are also mentioned.

Neotropical birds’ nests have received a great deal of attention because sylvatic species of Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) and parasitic flies of the genus Philornis (Diptera: Muscidae) were discovered inside them. Those insects known in birds’ nests from Argentina, the chacoan region of Bolivia, and the southern portion of Brazil and Uruguay were extensively but not completely summarized by Turienzo & Di Iorio (2007). The present contribution summarizes all insects known to occur in birds’ nests from the Neotropical Region (except for Argentina and the Antarctic Region of adjacent countries), updating Hicks’ catalogues for this part of the world. Regarding birds, the list comprises 172 taxa identified to species (in 38 families), 8 to genus (in 6 families), 6 to family (in 4 families), and 27 birds´nests not identified. Regarding insects of the Neotropical region, 123 were identified to species (13 Blattaria; 5 Coleoptera; 26 Diptera; 34 Hemiptera; 15 Hymenoptera; 23 Psocoptera; 6 Siphonaptera; 1 Thysanura), 96 to genus (5 Blattaria; 8 Coleoptera; 48 Diptera; 4 Hemiptera; 6 Hymenoptera; 25 Psocoptera), 63 to superfamily, family or subfamily (1 Blattaria; 21 Coleoptera; 10 Diptera; 7 Hemiptera; 14 Hymenoptera; 1 Isoptera; 3 Orthoptera; 5 Psocoptera; 1 Thysanoptera), and 34 to order (6 Blattaria [including 1 Mantodea]; 6 Coleoptera; 3 Diptera; 3 Embioptera; 2 Hemiptera; 3 Hymenoptera; 1 Thysanoptera; 2 Isoptera; 4 Lepidoptera; 1 Orthoptera; 1 Phthiraptera; 2 Psocoptera). Associations of Neotropical insects with birds´nests were extracted from 392 references including original and posterior citations. Some North American species of insects that are neotropical immigrants are discussed, while a few other had been accidentally introduced in both directions. Synonymies, old combinations, misidentifications, original localities, amounts of insects, and repositories when they were stated, are provided.

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