R. robustus

Rhodnius robustus (Larousse, 1927)

Distribution:

Bolivia (Pando, Santa Cruz) Brazil (Amazonas, Para, Maranhão, Goias) Colombia (Santander, Norte Santander) Ecuator (Napo) French Guiana (Cayenne, Bouche de Tefé) Peru (Amazonas, Cajamarca, Loreto, Madre de Dios, San Martin) Venezuela (Mérida, Falcon, Tachira, Cojedes, Apure, Barinas, Boliviar, Monagas, Sucre, Trujillo, Yaracuy))

Characteristics:

- males: 20.0-23.5mm, females: 23-26mm

- general color yellowish brown, with very dark brown parkings on various regions of body and appendages

- anteocupar region about 4 times as long as postocular

- distance between eyes dorsally smaller than or equal to width of eye in dorsal view

- legs with coxae and trochanter partially or entirely dark; femora reddish brown, tibia of identical color or yellowish brown, darker at apex

Biology:

- naturally infected by Trypanosoma cruzi

- sylvatic species, but has been reported from houses in Colombia

- in palm trees (Attalea maracaibensis, Scheelea sp, Acrocomia sclerocarpa, Maximiliana regia, Orbignya speciosa, Mauritia sp); in epiphytic bromeliads (Aechmea sp) with Microtriatoma trinidadensis. With rodents, marsupials, bats and birds.

- attracted to light

- Closely related to R. prolixus

- Rodents, marsupials, bats, lizards, frogs. Human.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Carcavallo RU, Galindez Giron, I, Jurberg, J & Lent H. 1998. Atlas of Chagas’ disease vectors in the Americas. Vol I, II, III. FioCruz Edition.

Dujardin JP, Schofield CJ & Panzera F. 2000. Les vecteurs de la maladie de Chagas. Recherches taxonomiques, biologiques et génétiques. Académie Royales des Sciences d'Outre-Mer.

Galvão C, Carcavallo R, Da Silva Rocha D & Jurberg J. 2003. A checklist of the current valid species of the subfamily Triatominae Jeannel, 1919 (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) and their geographical distribution, with nomenclatural and taxonomic notes. Zootaxa, 202: 1-36.

Lent H & Wygodzinsky P. 1979. Revision of the Triatominae (Hemiptera, Reduviidae), and their significance as vectors of Chagas disease. Bull. American Mus. Nat. Hist. 163 (Art. 3): 125-520.