How to translate text using browser tools
10 March 2024 Influence of temperature variability on the feeding behavior and blood consumption of Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)
Bárbara Álvarez-Duhart, Grisel Cavieres, Avia González, Pedro E. Cattan, Francisco Bozinovic, Sabrina Clavijo-Baquet
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

The transmission and incidence of vector-borne diseases rely on vector distribution and life history traits such as survival, fecundity, and feeding. Since arthropod disease vectors are ectotherms, these vital rates are strongly influenced by temperature. Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. This parasite is transmitted when the feces of the infected triatomine enter the bloodstream of the host. One of the most important vector-species of this disease in the Southern Cone region of South America is Triatoma infestans. In this study, we evaluated the role of constant and variable environmental temperature on the feeding behavior of T. infestans. Fifth-instar nymphs were acclimatized to 4 thermal treatments comprising 2 temperatures (27 °C and 18 °C) with and without diurnal thermal variability (27 ± 5 °C and 18 ± 5 °C). Individuals were fed weekly for 7 wk to quantify their feeding. Our results showed lower feeding frequency in nymphs acclimatized to cold temperature compared to those from warmer temperature treatments. However, treatments with thermal variability presented a nonlinear effect on feeding, with an increased feeding rate in the cold, variable treatment and a decreased feeding rate in the warm, variable treatment. Individuals maintained under cold treatments, the variable temperature exhibited a higher feeding rate and the lowest amount of ingested blood among all treatments. Thus, natural diurnal temperature variation cannot be ignored if we are to make more accurate T. cruzi transmission risk predictions now and in the future.

Bárbara Álvarez-Duhart, Grisel Cavieres, Avia González, Pedro E. Cattan, Francisco Bozinovic, and Sabrina Clavijo-Baquet "Influence of temperature variability on the feeding behavior and blood consumption of Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)," Journal of Medical Entomology 61(5), 1222-1231, (10 March 2024). https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjae034
Received: 7 August 2023; Accepted: 14 February 2024; Published: 10 March 2024
JOURNAL ARTICLE
10 PAGES

This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
+ SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

KEYWORDS
Chagas disease
feeding frequency
temperature
vector-borne disease
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top