Belminus genus

Belminus (Stal 1859) - Eigh species:

1. Belminus corredori (Colombia) - Galvão & Mangulo 2006
2. Belminus costaricensis (South Mexico, Costa Rica)
3. Belminus ferroae (Colombia) - Sandoval et al. 2007
4. Belminus herreri (Colombia, Panama)
5. Belminus laportei (Brazil)
6. Belminus peruvianus (North Peru) - PERIDOMICILE (Barrett 1991)
7. Belminus pittieri (Venezuela)
8. Belminus rugulosus (Colombia, Venezuela)

Distribution

Characteristics

- Small triatomines (8.5-12 mm)

- Overall body color black

- Genus characterized mainly by 1) the rostrum being very slightly compressed dorsoventrally with its first and second segments elongate, subequal in length, third very short. 2) The base of the scutellum laterally with 1+1 subtriangular processes, and dorsal connexival segments with a longitudinal submarginal conspicuous pleat

- Body granulose and rugose

- Head elongate fusiform, 2.5 - 3 times as long as wide

- Genae compressed laterally, platelike, with apex rounded. Conspicuous surpassing clypeus;

- Postocular region with sides subparallel or convex

- Ocelli small or obsolescent

- Antennas inserted one quarter of anteocular region near apex

- Scutellum triangular, with two proyections. Posterior process subconical.

- Legs short. Femora with denticles ventral position.

- Spongy fossulae absent, tarsi three segmented.

- Median process of pygophore short, pointed. Articulatory apparatus with stapes slingtly longer than wide. Pedicel narrow and very elongated. Dorsal sclerotization of phallosoma faint; struts narrow, subparallel, not fused.

Biology

- Wild species. No medical importance until know.

- Insect without relation with humans, whereas four species were found in human dwellings: B. corredori (inside dwellings, Colombia), B. herreri (in chicken coop, Colombia), B. ferroae (inside dwellings, Colombia) and B. peruvianus (inside dwellings, Peru).

- Generally arboreal species, in bromeliads or under tree bark.

- Associated with sloths, didelphids, rodents, Blatidae and lizards.

- In laboratory, generally first and second instars refused to feed on humans, rabbits, guinea pigs, or white rats, but accepted geckosand tortoises (B. peruvianus, Lent & Zygodzinsky, 1979). They seem to beunable to take bloodmeals directly from vertebrate hosts, but they fed successfully by cleptohaematophagy on blood from replete Rhodnius prolixus.

- Oviposition: eggs are laying isolated and without adherent glue.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cuba Cuba C, Vallejo GA & Gurgel-Goncalves R. 2007. Triatomines (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) prevalent in the northwest of Peru: species with epidemiological vectorial capacity. Parasitol Latinoam 62: 154-164 FLAP

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

Distant WL. 1902. Rhynchotal notes XIV: Heteroptera: Families Hydrometridae, Henicocephalidae and Reduviidae (part). Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. London, series 7, 10: 173-194.

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 & Mangulo V. 2006. Belminus corredori, a new species of Bolboderini (Hemiptera:Reduviidae: Triatominae) from Santander, Colombia. Zootaxa, 1241: 61-68.

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.

Guhl F, Aguilera G, Pinto N & Vergara D. 2007. Actualización de la distribución geográfica y ecoepidemiología de la fauna de Triatominos (Reduviidae: Triatominae) en Colombia. Biom.enero, 27(supl 1): 143-162.

Herrer A, Lent H & Wygodzinsky P. 1954. Contribucion al conocimiento del genero Belminus Stal, 1859 (Triatominae, Reduviidae, Hemiptera). An. Inst. Med. Reg. Tucumans, 4: 85-105. (B. costaricensis, B. peruvianus)

Lent H. 1943. Novo trasmissor da doenca de Chagas na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, D.F. Estudo os generous Belminus Stal, 1859, Bolbodera Valdes, 1910 e descricao de Parabelminus carioca n.g., n. sp., (Hemiptera, Triatominae). Mem. Do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, 38(3).

Lent H. & Jurberg J. 1984. A genitalia externa na tribo Bolboderini (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae). Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz, 79(1): 1-27.

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.

Lent H, Jurberg J & Carcavallo RU. 1995. Uma nova espécie de Belminus Stal do estado de Para. Mem. Inst.Oswaldo Cruz 90(1): 33-39. (B. laportei)

Martinez A & Carcavallo RU. 1976. El alotipo macho de Belminus rugulosus Stal, 1859 (Hemiptera, Reduviidae). Bol. Dir. Malariol. San. Amb. 1-(3): 241-243)

Biodiversity NewsflashMiles MA, de Souza AA & Povoa M. 1981. Chagas’ disease in the Amazon Basin. III. Ecotopes of ten triatomine bug species (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) from the vicinity of Belem, Para State, Brazil. J. Med. Entomol., 18(4): 266-278.

Neiva A. 1913. Notas hemipterologicas I. Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz, 5(1): 74-77. (B. costaricensis)

Osuna E & Ayala JM. 1993. Belminus pittieri Nueva especie de Bolboderini (Triatominae: Reduviidae: Heteroptera). Bol. Entomol. Venezolana N. S. 8(2): 147-150.

Picado C. 1913. Les broméliacées épiphytes considérées comme milieu biologique. Bull. Sci. France Belgique, serie 7, 47: 215-360. (B. costaricensis)

Sandoval CM, Pabon E, Jurberg J & Galvão C. 2007. Belminus ferroae n. sp. from the Colombian north-east, with a key to the species of the genus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae). Zootaxa, 1443: 55-64.

Sandoval CM, Duarte R, Gutierrez R, Rocha DS, Angulo VM, Esteban L, Reyes M, Jurberg J & Galvão C. 2004. Feeding sources and natural infection of Belminus herreri (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae) from dwellings in Cesar, Colombia. Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz, 99(2): 137-140.

Stal C. 1859. Monographie der Gattung Conorhinus und Verwandten; Berliner Ent. Zeitschr. 3: 99-117.

Walker F. 1873. Catalogue of the specimens of Hemiptera Heteroptera in the collection of the British museum. Part 7, 220 pp, London.