Daily activity patterns of movement and refuge use in Triatoma gerstaeckeri and Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), vectors of the Chagas disease parasite.

Transmission risk for vector borne disease is greatest during periods of heightened vector activity. Triatomine bugs (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), which transmit Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, are generally considered nocturnal, but their patterns of activity in controlled settings have rarely been studied. We quantified activity patterns across a 24-hour period in nymphs of two triatomine species: (1) Triatoma gerstaeckeri Stål, a North American triatomine which is closely associated with sylvatic and peridomestic hosts, and (2) Rhodnius prolixus Stål, a Central and South American triatomine that thrives in the domestic environment.