Morphometric changes of Rhodnius neglectus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae): in the transition from sylvatic to laboratory conditions

Abstract

ABSTRACT. In the present work, we investigated whether it is possible to detect morphometric changes in Rhodnius neglectus Lent, 1954 (a candidate vector of Chagas disease in Central Brazil) populations in the transition from sylvatic to laboratory conditions. We analyzed size and shape variation in wings of sylvatic parents and their laboratory descendents (first, third and fifth generations) using geometric morphometric techniques. Sexual size dimorphism and shape of wings were maintained, but wing size decreased from sylvatic specimens to their laboratory generations. Size variation in R. neglectus should reflect the expected morphometric changes between sylvatic and domestic populations and can be applied to analyze the level of adaptation of R. neglectus to domestic habitats. This information might be useful to detect persistent infestations in dwellings after insecticide application, or new infestations from the sylvatic environment, and is therefore important to guide vector surveillance strategies for Chagas disease.

Morphometric and molecular evidence of intraspecific biogeographical differentiation of Rhodnius pallescens (HEMIPTERA: REDUVIIDAE: RHODNIINI) from Colombia and Panama

“…Also, it is well known that in Triatominae there is a strong sexual size dimorphism, with females larger than males (Lent and Wygodzinsky, 1979). Moreover, wing size has been used to describe this characteristic in many Triatominae species (Dujardin et al, 1999a;Gurgel-Gonçalves et al, 2011;Jaramillo-Ocampo et al, 2002).…”

The role of wing geometric morphometrics in the identification of sandflies within the subgenus Lutzomyia

“…The lack of sexual dimorphism in size in some species, such as L. longipalpis, may be the result of adaptive processes. Among some groups of vector insects, such as triatomines, there is an evident decrease in sexual dimorphism during the transition from sylvatic to artificial environments, such as the laboratory or human dwellings (Gurgel-Gonçalves et al, 2011). This may explain why male and female L. longipalpis specimens are similar in size, although this topic warrants more in-depth study to compare sylvatic and domestic populations.…”

Morfometria alar das espécies do subgênero Lutzomyia (Diptera, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) que ocorrem no Brasil

“…Vários estudos têm mostrado influência de fatores ambientais no tamanho de insetos, como por exemplo, temperatura (Smith & Mullens, 2003), dieta ou densidade larval (Jirakanjanakit et al, 2007) e habitat de origem (Dujardin et al, 1997a(Dujardin et al, , 1999cGurgel-Gonçalves et al, 2011). Portanto, essa variação deve ser avaliada com cuidado, visto que o tamanho pode ser influenciado pela heterogeneidade ambiental nem sempre podendo ser empregado como um caracter discriminante (Calle et al, 2008).…”

“…longipalpis poderia ser resultante de processos adaptativos. Para alguns grupos de insetos vetores como os triatomíneos é evidente a diminuição do dimorfismo sexual durante a transição do ambiente silvestre para o urbano -laboratório ou casas (Dujardin et al, 1999c;Gurgel-Gonçalves et al, 2011). Esse fato poderia explicar porque machos e fêmeas de Lu.…”