Life Cycle, Feeding, and Defecation Patterns of Panstrongylus chinai (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) Under Laboratory Conditions

Abstract:

Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. Panstrongylus chinai (Del Ponte) is highly domiciliated in the Peruvian and Ecuadorian Andes and has been found naturally infected with T. cruzi. The objective of this study was to describe the life cycle, feeding, and defecation patterns of P. chinai in the Loja province within southern Ecuador. To characterize its life cycle, a cohort of 70 individuals was followed from egg to adult. At each stage of development, prefeeding time, feeding time, weight of ingested meal, proportional weight increase, and the time to the first defecation were recorded. Panstrongylus chinai completed its development in 371.4 ± 22.3 d, (95% CI 355.4–387.4), which means that it is likely a univoltine species. Prefeeding time, feeding time, and weight of ingested meal increased as individuals developed through nymphal stages. Moreover, time to first defecation was …

Año de publicación:

2016

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