Panstrongylus geniculatus

Taxobox | name = "Panstrogylus geniculatus"

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image_width = 240px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Hemiptera
familia = Reduviidae
subfamilia = Triatominae
genus = "Panstrongylus"
species = "P. geniculatus"
binomial = "Panstrongylus geniculatus"
binomial_authority = (Latreille, 1811)

"Panstrogylus geniculatus" is a blood-sucking insect noted as a putative vector of minor importance in the transmission of "Trypanosoma cruzi" to humans i.e. Chagas disease. This species has been catalogued as exclusively sylvatic, usually living in humid forests in diverse vertebrate nesting places, especially armadillo ("Dasypus") burrows. It has a wide distribution, ranging from southern Mexico down to northern Argentina, including several Caribbean islands.

There have been few scientific studies of this particular species because of the low number of collected specimens and difficulties in rearing and maintaining populations in the laboratory. However, currently "P. geniculatus" is receiving attention as a potential vector of American trypanosomiasis due to reports of this species invading the domestic and peridomestic habitats over a vast area: Venezuela, [cite journal |author=Feliciangeli MD, Carrasco H, Patterson JS, Suarez B, Martinez C, Medina M |title=Mixed domestic infestation by "Rhodnius prolixus" Stal, 1859 and "Panstrongylus geniculatus" Latreille, 1811, vector incrimination, and seroprevalence for "Trypanosoma cruzi" among inhabitants in El Guamito, Lara State, Venezuela |journal=Am J Trop Med Hyg |volume=71 |issue=4 |pages=501-5 |year=2004 |month=Oct |pmid=15516649 |url=http://www.ajtmh.org/cgi/reprint/71/4/501.pdf] Colombia, [cite journal |author=Wolff M, Castillo D |title=Evidencias de domesticación y aspectos biológicos de "Panstrogylus geniculatus" (Latreille, 1811) (Hemiptera: Rediviidae) |journal=Acta Entomol Chil |volume=24 |issue= |pages=77-83 |year=2000 |month= |url= ] Brazil, [cite journal |author=Valente VC, Valente SA, Noireau F, Carrasco HJ Miles MA |title=Chagas disease in the Amazon Basin: association of "Panstrongylus geniculatus" (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) with domestic pigs |journal=J Med Entomol |volume=35 |issue=2 |pages=99-103 |year=1998 |month= |url=http://iah.iec.pa.gov.br/iah/fulltext/pc/artigos/1998/jmedentomol1998v35n2p99-103.pdf ] Peru, Ecuador, and Argentina.

"P. geniculatus" is apparently in the process of domiciliation using the same strategies as highly domesticated species like "Triatoma infestans" and "Rhodnius prolixus". This is also the case for other sylvatic triatomine species (Triatominae) that are experiencing similar ecological pressures originated by human disruption of the natural habitat.

References