Abstract:This work examines the influence of mating on ovarian follicle development in Triatoma infestans. The observations were carried out on both virgin and mated females, which were killed at various times after their emergence. There was no difference in the ovarian development of both experimental groups during the first gonadotrophic cycle. By the 7th day mated females as well as virgin females showed vitellogenic oocytes. The coriogenesis and ovulation process began on the 13th day after imaginal moulting. Howe… Show more
“…It is important to highlight that pairs were allowed to copulate ad libitum in all treatments, even though we did not control whether uninfected insects copulated more frequently than infected ones. It is known that a greater mating frequency improves the fecundity shown by triatomine pairs [67], [68] and the possibility of consequences of trypanosome infection on bug mating performance deserves to be analyzed in further studies.…”
The insect Rhodnius prolixus is responsible for the transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi, which is the etiological agent of Chagas disease in areas of Central and South America. Besides this, it can be infected by other trypanosomes such as Trypanosoma rangeli. The effects of these parasites on vectors are poorly understood and are often controversial so here we focussed on possible negative effects of these parasites on the reproductive performance of R. prolixus, specifically comparing infected and uninfected couples. While T. cruzi infection did not delay pre-oviposition time of infected couples at either temperature tested (25 and 30°C) it did, at 25°C, increase the e-value in the second reproductive cycle, as well as hatching rates. Meanwhile, at 30°C, T. cruzi infection decreased the e-value of insects during the first cycle and also the fertility of older insects. When couples were instead infected with T. rangeli, pre-oviposition time was delayed, while reductions in the e-value and hatching rate were observed in the second and third cycles. We conclude that both T. cruzi and T. rangeli can impair reproductive performance of R. prolixus, although for T. cruzi, this is dependent on rearing temperature and insect age. We discuss these reproductive costs in terms of potential consequences on triatomine behavior and survival.
“…It is important to highlight that pairs were allowed to copulate ad libitum in all treatments, even though we did not control whether uninfected insects copulated more frequently than infected ones. It is known that a greater mating frequency improves the fecundity shown by triatomine pairs [67], [68] and the possibility of consequences of trypanosome infection on bug mating performance deserves to be analyzed in further studies.…”
The insect Rhodnius prolixus is responsible for the transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi, which is the etiological agent of Chagas disease in areas of Central and South America. Besides this, it can be infected by other trypanosomes such as Trypanosoma rangeli. The effects of these parasites on vectors are poorly understood and are often controversial so here we focussed on possible negative effects of these parasites on the reproductive performance of R. prolixus, specifically comparing infected and uninfected couples. While T. cruzi infection did not delay pre-oviposition time of infected couples at either temperature tested (25 and 30°C) it did, at 25°C, increase the e-value in the second reproductive cycle, as well as hatching rates. Meanwhile, at 30°C, T. cruzi infection decreased the e-value of insects during the first cycle and also the fertility of older insects. When couples were instead infected with T. rangeli, pre-oviposition time was delayed, while reductions in the e-value and hatching rate were observed in the second and third cycles. We conclude that both T. cruzi and T. rangeli can impair reproductive performance of R. prolixus, although for T. cruzi, this is dependent on rearing temperature and insect age. We discuss these reproductive costs in terms of potential consequences on triatomine behavior and survival.
“…This agrees with the assumption that species with high levels of plasticity in morphological and life-history traits have a great capacity to deal with changing and highly variable environments. Most of the studies on different aspects of the blood-sucking bug T. infestans showed evidence of the high potential of this species as vector of Chagas disease (e.g., Asin and Crocco de Ayerbe, 1992;Catalá de Montenegro, 1989;Guarneri et al, 2000;Zeledón, 1983). However, to our knowledge, this is the first study that examined if the quality of blood ingested during nymph instars and adult stages induces phenotypic plasticity in head morphometry and if there are full-sib family-based differences in the expression of phenotypic plasticity in this species.…”
“…Besides blood meal ingestion, mating is a stimulus that appears to enhance egg production. The number of matings promotes more numerous ovipositions and increases fertility (Asin and Crocco de Ayerbe, 1992;Daflon-Teixeira et al, 2009;Mundal, 1978;Stoka et al, 1987).…”
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