Microtriatoma genus

Microtriatoma (Prosen & Martinez 1952) - Two species:

1. Microtriatoma borbai (Brazil)
2. Microtriatoma trinidadensis (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Panamá, Peru, Surinam, Trinidad, Venezuela)

Characteristics:

- Small triatomines (7-8mm), strongly flattened.

- Ocelli not elevated, situated at level of integument

- Head with genae compressed laterally, elongate, rounded, projecting beyond apex of clypeus

- Antenniferous tubercles situated at middle of anteocular region of head

- Rostrum with first segment shorter than second

- Femora without denticle

Biology:

- Arboreal, in bromeliads; associated with opossums

- Very little information known

Microtriatoma borbai (Lent & Wygodzinsky 1979)

Distribution:

Characteristics:

- Length of male 7-8mm, female 7.5mm

- Membrane of hemelytra uniformly dark

- Head stout in lateral view

- Postocular region of head 1.8 times as wide as long

- Third rostral segment as long as first

Biology:

- Silvestre, in mammal burrows (rodents, marsupials)

- In bromelid plants. Associated fauna: Phimophorus spissicornis (Reduviidae).

- Eggs firmly fastened to the substrate

- Feeds on Didelphis sp. In laboratory, refuse to feed on pigeons, mice or human

- Naturally infected by T. cruzi

Microtriatoma trinidadensis (Lent 1951)

Distribution:

Characteristics:

- Length of male 7.5-8.0mm, female 7.5mm

- Membrane of hemelytra speckled with light and dark

- Head slender in lateral view

- Postocular region of head at most 1.6 times as wide as long

- Third rostral segment much shorter than first

Biology:

- Wild and peridomestic population, attraction by light

- Under tree bark (Colombia), in epiphytic bromeliad together with R. robustus (Venezuela), in domestic environment together with R. stali (Bolivia)

- Bromelid plants: Aechmea sp.; palm trees and other trees

- Feed on Didelphis marsupialis, rodents, bats, Bradipodidae

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Carcavallo RU & Martinez A. 1985. Biología, ecología y distribución geográfica de los triatominos americanos. In: Factores biológicos y ecológicos en la enfermedad de Chagas. Vol1, pp149-208. OMS- ECO/MSAS-SNCh. Buenos Aires.

Carcavallo RU, Barreto P, Martinez A & Tonn RJ. 1976. El género Microtriatoma Prosen & Martinez, 1952, (Hemiptera, Reduviidae). Bol. Dir. Malariol. San. Amb., 16(3): 231-240.

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

Cedillos R, Sousa OE, Zeledon R, Curto de Casas SI, Canale DM & Carcavallo RU. 1985. America Central. In: Factores Biológicos y Ecológicos en la Enfermedad de Chagas. II: 339-344 OPS-ECO/MSAS-SNCh, Buenos Aires.

D’Alessandro A & Barreto P. 1985. Colombia. In: Factores Biológicos y Ecológicos en la Enfermedad de Chagas. II: 377-400 OPS-ECO/MSAS-SNCh, Buenos Aires.

De la Riva J, Matias A, Torres M, Martinez E & Dujardin JP. 2001. Adult and nymphs of Microtriatoma trinidadensis (Lent, 1951) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) caught from peridomestic environment in Bolivia. Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz, 96(7): 889-894.

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.

Espinola HN. 1985. Brasil. In: Factores Biológicos y Ecológicos en la Enfermedad de Chagas. II: 363-372 OPS-ECO/MSAS-SNCh, Buenos Aires.

Lent H. 1951. Segunda especie do genero Bolbodera Valdés, 1910 (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae). Rev. Brasileira Biol, 11(2): 153-156.

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.

Miles 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.

Prosen AF & Martinez A. 1952. Un nuevo género y especie de Triatominae (Hemiptera, Reduviidae). Mis. Est. Pat. Reg. Arg., 23: 5-12

Silveira AC, Feitosa VR & Borges R. 1984. Distribuição de Triatomineos capturados no ambiente domiciliary, no periodo 1975/83, Brasil. Rev. Brasileira Malariol. D. Trop., 36: 15-312.

Torrealba JW, Tonn RJ, Carcavallo RU, Lord R & Arata A. 1985. Venezuela. In: Ibid. II: 465-472.

Torrico RA 1958. Casuística de la enfermedad de Chagas en Bolivia. An Laboratorio Central 4: 3-13.

Wygodzinsky P. 1958. Notas y descripciones de reduviidae bolivianas. Acta Zool Lilloana, XVII: 293-320.