R. pictipes

Rhodnius pictipes (Stal, 1872)

Distribution:

BelizeBolivia (?) Brazil (Amazonas, Goias, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Para) Colombia (Meta, Putumayo) Ecuador (Azuay) French Guiana Guyana Peru (Cuzco, Loreto, San Martin) Suriname Trinidad Venezuela (Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Falcon, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Portuguesa, Tachira, Trujillo, Yaracuy, Zulia)

Characteristics:

Species close to R. amazonicus, R. paraensis, R. stali

- Length: 15-22mm

- General color yellowish brown, with dark brown spots on various body regions and appendages; overall aspect mottled

- at least the meso- and the metatibia with a black median ring

- median process of pygophore bispinose

- head elongate, all tibia with black median ring, length > 15mm

- anteocular region of the head at least 2.7 times as long as postocular

- corium brownish, irregular spotted with black

- femora yellowish, mottled with dark brown

Biology:

- Sylvatic, in palm trees (Acrocomia sclerocarpa, Copernitia australis, orbignya speciosa, Jessenia policarpa, Maximiliana regia, Scheelea spp, Attalea sp) and in bromeliads (Aechmea sp)

- With birds, bats, marsupials, rodents, lizards

- Also encountered in human habitations, attracted to light

- Naturally infected by T. cruzi

- In laboratory: when bothered it immobilized and feign death

- Feeding source: Didelphis marsupialis, Marmosa cinerea, Sigmodon sp, Tamandua tetradactyla. Cricetidae. Muridae. Bats, dogs, pigs, marsupials, humans, poultry

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aldana E, Lizano E, Valderrama A. 2003. Revisión del estatus taxonómico de Rhodnius pictipes Stal 1872 (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae). Boletin de Malariologia y Salud Ambiental, XLIII: 31-38.

Bérenger JK & Pluot-Sigwalt, D. 2002. Rhodnius amazonicus Almeida, Santos & Sposina, 1973, Bona species, close to R. pictipes Stal, 1872 (Heteroptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae). Mem do Inst. Oswaldo Cruz, 97: 73- 77 (PDF).

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.

Lent H, Jurberg J & Galvão C. 1993. Rhodnius stali N. SP., afim de Rhodnius pictipes Stal, 1872 (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae). Mem do Inst. Oswaldo Cruz, 88: 605-614.