Most triatomine bugs (Heteroptera: Reduviidae) are nest-living insects that require vertebrate blood or invertebrate haemolymph to complete their life cycle. Vertebrates accumulate excretory products in or near their nesting sites and we hypothesize that triatomines use emanations from such host wastes when searching for resources. Here we recount how triatomine bugs increase upwind locomotion on a servosphere in response to volatile amine constituents of vertebrate excretions. Fresh chicken faeces is strongly attractive to Rhodnius prolixus nymphs. Ammonia induces attraction and an increase in both speed and total path length by R. prolixus on the servosphere. Whereas ethylamine and dimethylamine attract R. prolixus, Triatoma infestans and Panstrongylus geniculatus, other amine constituents of vertebrate excretions such as isobutylamine and hexylamine induce R. prolixus nymphs to walk faster and for a longer period. These amines are derived from generally occurring metabolites of vertebrates and from gut flora metabolism. We conclude that amines and other products associated with nesting hosts serve as signals for foraging triatomines.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2014.09.007 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Common Bed Bugs: Non-Viable Hosts for Parasites.
Cells
December 2024
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
The hemoflagellate parasite is transmitted by triatomine kissing bugs and may co-infect humans together with its Chagas disease-causing congener . Using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and antimicrobial assays, we studied () the temporal and spatial distribution of in common bed bugs, , following oral ingestion and hemocoelic injection of and () the immune responses of bed bugs induced by infections. Irrespective of infection mode, no live were present in the bed bugs' hemolymph, salivary glands, or feces.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenome report: First whole genome sequence of Triatoma sanguisuga (Le Conte, 1855), vector of Chagas disease.
G3 (Bethesda)
December 2024
Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA.
Article Synopsis
- Triatoma sanguisuga, the most common triatomine bug in the US, carries the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, responsible for Chagas disease, although diagnoses are rare in the country.
- The study presented the first complete genome sequence of T. sanguisuga, obtained from a specimen in Delaware, revealing a genome size of 1.162 Gbp with high assembly quality, evidenced by a 99.1% BUSCO score.
- This genomic information can enhance understanding of triatomine bugs in colder climates and support public health initiatives for managing vector-borne diseases.
First Report of Rhodnius stali Lent, Jurberg, and Galvão 1993 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) Naturally Infected by Trypanosoma cruzi in Concepción Department, Paraguay.
Am J Trop Med Hyg
December 2024
Centro para el Desarrollo de la Investigación Científica, Asunción, Paraguay.
Article Synopsis
- Most triatomine bugs are found in the nests of vertebrates, often near palm trees, with some species living in human habitats and capable of spreading Chagas disease.
- A specimen identified as Rhodnius stali was discovered in northeastern Paraguay and tested positive for Trypanosoma cruzi, marking a new first for the species in the country.
- This finding highlights the need for enhanced surveillance and vector control measures to address the potential spread of Chagas disease in Paraguay.
Unusual frequency of Trypanosoma cruzi DTU TcI and predominance of hybrid lineages in Triatoma infestans before and after control interventions in the Argentinian Chaco.
Acta Trop
January 2025
Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Laboratorio de Eco-Epidemiología. Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address:
Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi involves diverse hosts, vectors and parasitic genotypes, in different environments. In recent decades, the distribution of T. cruzi has altered due to urbanization of affected people and vectors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBeyond blood: the flexibility of triatomine bug food search and recognition.
Curr Opin Insect Sci
December 2024
Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Laboratorio de Neuroetología de Insectos, ETI2, Instituto Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada, IBBEA, CONICET-UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Article Synopsis
- - Kissing bugs are effective blood-feeders, using cues like carbon dioxide and heat to locate their warm-blooded hosts, but recent studies show they may also feed on cold-blooded animals and insects.
- - The bugs utilize various sensory signals, such as temperature changes and odors, for feeding decisions, and are now found to consume plant or fruit fluids, indicating a more diverse diet than previously thought.
- - Future research should explore how kissing bugs sense and react to different sensory inputs from various hosts and plant sources, which could inform strategies for surveillance and control, as well as shed light on their evolutionary transition from predatory to blood-feeding behavior.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!