Triatoma infestans (Klug)

Sandoval-Ruiz, César Antonio, Cervantesperedo, Luis, Mendoza-Palmero, Fredy Severo & Ibáñez-Bernal, Sergio, 2012, The Triatominae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) of Veracruz, Mexico: geographic distribution, taxonomic redescriptions, and a key, Zootaxa 3487, pp. 1-23 : 16-17

Triatoma infestans (Klug)

( Fig. 8 )

Reduvius infestans Klug in Meyen 1834, p. 412. Type locality: Argentina (without specific locality).

Diagnosis. Adult body length 20–30 mm. Body ground color black with yellow markings on corium and connexivum. Antenniferous tubercles at middle of anteocular region. First antennal segment approaching but not attaining level of apex of clypeus. Rostrum dark and slender, first rostral segment not reaching level of apex of antenniferous tubercles. Second segment attaining level of hind border of eyes. Pronotum uniformly shining black.

Humeral angles rounded. Hemelytra falling short of apex of seventh urotergite. Corium with one pale yellow spot subbasally. Legs black, with trochanters and bases of femora yellow. Connexivum black, each segment with large yellow spot, close to posterior border of segment and adjoining connexival suture ( Lent & Wygodzinsky 1979).

Distribution. Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Mexico (Morelos and Veracruz) ( Lent & Wygodzinsky 1979, Galvão et al. 2003).

Records in Veracruz. Municipality of San Andrés Tuxtla, Estación biológica “Los Tuxtlas”.

Comments. Rocha et al. (2001) and Galvão et al. (2003) mentioned the presence of this species at Estación de Biología Tropical “Los Tuxtlas”, Veracruz, collected with light traps; only four specimens are known from this locality, and are deposited in the entomological collection of Rodolfo Carcavallo, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Brazil. There is not a clear explanation of its presence in this locality, which is far from the normal distribution area of the species. Triatoma infestans is considered the primary vector of T. cruzi to humans in South America, as it easily colonizes the domiciliary habitat ( Pereira et al. 2006). The records of this species from Morelos, which we include below, represent the first mention of the species in this central Mexican state.

Material examined. 3 Ƥ: México, Veracruz, San Andrés Tuxtla, 18.45°N, – 95.212W, 300msnm. 1977-5-20, IBUNAM: CNIN:HEM-sn207, IBUNAM: CNIN:HEM-sn208, IBUNAM: CNIN:HEM-sn209. 2 Ƥ: México, Morelos, Tepoztlan, 18.985°N, – 99.1°W. 1710 msnm. C. Bolívar col. IBUNAM: CNIN:HEM-sn131. 1945 -7-1, C. Bolívar col. IBUNAM: CNIN:HEM-sn132. 1 Ƥ: Morelos, Poza Azul, 1972-1-3, P. Sánchez col. IBUNAM: CNIN:HEM-sn206. H. Brailovsky det.

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 9. Triatomine species known to occur in Veracruz, Mexico: 6) Panstrongylus geniculatus (female from Venezuela, Carabobo, IBUNAM); 7) Panstrongylus rufotuberculatus (female from Veracruz, “ Los Tuxtlas, ” IBUNAM); 8) Triatoma infestans (female from Veracruz, “ Los Tuxtlas, ” IBUNAM); 9) Triatoma rubida (female from Mexico, Baja California Sur, Isla Ángel de la Guarda, IBUNAM. Photographs by C. A. Sandoval-Ruiz.