Flight and nutritional status of sylvatic Triatoma sordida and Triatoma guasayana

Abstract

Nutritional status relating to flight activity was investigated in natural populations of

Trapping Triatominae in Silvatic Habitats

“…Starved bugs were more likely to be attracted by the bait; thus, the proportion of bugs captured in each ecotope would be inversely correlated to the nutritional status of the population. This study confirms that the nutritional status of silvatic bugs is generally very poor and may explain the unsuccessful results obtained by live-baited trapping in domestic habitat where triatomines are commonly fed (Tonn et al 1976, Noireau & Dujardin 2001. Using this trapping system, the ecological (and economical) damage caused by felling and dissecting trees to study associated triatomines may be avoided.…”

Flight metabolism in Panstrongylus megistus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae): the role of carbohydrates and lipids

“…Similar flight activities were described for R. prolixus (Gringorten & Friend 1979, Ward et al 1982, T. infestans (Schofield et al 1992) and more recently, for T. sordida and T. guasayana (Noireau & Dujardin 2001). Ward et al (1982) had previously suggested the involvement of lipids as the energy source used by triatomine bugs during their dispersal by flight.…”

“…Active dispersal by flight performed by winged adults is highly temperature dependent and has been associated with the poor nutritional status of the vectors in response to habitat destruction, increasing bug population density, host death as well as restricted access to blood sources (Sjogren & Ryckman 1966, Schofield 1980, Lehane & Schofield 1982, Noireau & Dujardin 2001.…”

Ecological patterns of blood-feeding by kissing-bugs (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae)

“…Such aspects include feeding preferences (Quintal & Polanco 1977), avoidance of excessive warming during feeding (Lazzari et al 2009), importance of nutritional status in flight initiation and dispersal (Lehane & Schofield 1982, Lehane et al 1992, Noireau & Dujardin 2001, Emmanuelle-Machado et al 2002, Ceballos et al 2005, avoidance of predators during feeding (Bodin et al 2009a, b), frequency and size of the blood intake (Maddrell 1963, Wood 1976, Montenegro & Pasina 1984, Maifrino et al 1986, Pietrokovsky et al 1996, Pereira et al 1998, control of meal size (Bennet-Clark 1963b) and the relationship between feeding and defecation patterns as well as other aspects of feeding with epidemiological importance (Wood 1951, Dias 1956, Zeledón et al 1970, 1977, Da Rocha e Silva et al 1979, Crocco & Catalá 1996, Kollien & Schaub 1998, Zabala & D' Antonio 1988, Braga & Lima 1999, Aldana et al 2001, Emmanuelle-Machado et al 2002, Nattero et al 2002, Almeida et al 2003, Arévalo et al 2007, Rodriguez et al 2008, Klotz et al 2009). …”