Biogeography and evolution of Amazonian triatomines (Heteroptera: Reduviidae): implications for Chagas disease surveillance in humid forest ecoregions

Biologia comparativa e comportamento alimentar de Rhodnius neglectus e Rhodnius robustus (Triatominae) sob condições de laboratório

“…e Rhodnius robustus Larrousse, 1927 são espécies de triatomíneos predominantemente silvestres, habitando diferentes espécies de palmeiras no Brasil [1][2][3][4][5] . R. neglectus é uma espécie característica do cerrado no Brasil central com um papel importante na transmissão enzoótica de Trypanosoma cruzi e T. rangeli 6 .…”

“…Além da invasão de adultos nos domicílios 7 , existem evidências de formação de colônias domiciliares de R. neglectus nos Estados de Minas Gerais, São Paulo e Goiás [8][9][10] , sendo considerado como um vetor secundário na transmissão da doença de Chagas. R. robustus (s.l., ver Abad-Franch cols 4 ) tem ampla distribuição na Amazônia, ocorrendo frequentemente em palmeiras (silvestres e periurbanas) em altas densidades e com relevantes taxas de infecção por tripanosomatídeos 1,3,11,12 . Apesar de não existirem evidências de colonização de R. robustus em ambiente domiciliar no Brasil, espécimes adultos infectados por T. cruzi têm invadido casas na região amazônica, sendo potenciais vetores extradomiciliares ou ainda podendo contaminar equipamentos de processamento de alimentos, representando risco de transmissão oral da doença de Chagas 13,14 .…”

Biology, diversity and strategies for the monitoring and control of triatomines - Chagas disease vectors

“…The lack of data on probable new habitats for triatomines that are losing their original habitat due to environmental pressures, the possible existence of new species and the lack of detailed studies for some of the already recorded species impair the estimation and precision of predictions for the spread of Chagas disease in the Amazon Region. A biogeographical revision of the triatomine species based on ecological patterns shows different degrees of synanthropism interpreted as a behavioural gradient starting with the mere invasion of a single house by an adventitious adult and eventually leading to the stable infestation of human dwellings by large breeding vector colonies (Abad-Franch & Monteiro 2007). Recently, the entomological investigation of the first autochthonous case of Chagas disease in the western Brazilian Amazon was reassessed and specimens of Rhodnius pictipes Stål 1872 and Rhodnius robustus Larrousse, 1927 infected with trypanosomatids were collected in the intradomicile and in the sylvatic ecotopes.…”

Attraction of Chagas disease vectors (Triatominae) to artificial light sources in the canopy of primary Amazon rainforest

“…The genus Rhodnius was represented by three species. Two of them, Rhodnius robustus and Rhodnius pictipes, are common in Amazonia and have been implicated in Chagas disease transmission (Abad-Franch & Monteiro 2007, Valente et al 2009), whereas Rhodnius amazonicus is a rare species hitherto known only from type specimens and a few additional collections in French Guiana (Bérenger & Pluot-Sigwalt 2002, Bérenger et al 2009). …”

“…except for spatially discrete foci of true domestic (i.e., householdbreeding) populations, Amazonian triatomines are essentially sylvatic (Abad-Franch & Monteiro 2007, Aguilar et al 2007. They exploit a variety of forest ecotopes, including palm tree crowns, hollow trees and vertebrate nests and burrows (Lent & Wygodzinsky 1979, Barrett 1991.…”