Phylogenetic approach to the study of Triatomines (Triatominae, Heteroptera)

Abstract

Triatomines are insects belonging to the Hemiptera order, Heteroptera suborder, Reduviidae family and Triatominae subfamily. All members of this subfamily are hematophagous. Triatomines evolved from Reduviidae predators and they are probably polyphyletic in origin. The combination of anatomical, physiological and ethological factors observed in this group, as well as the plesiomorphic and apomorphic characters that differentiate the five tribes and fourteen triatomine genera reinforce the polyphiletic hypotesis. However if we consider the five groups of triatomines, the Rhodniini, Cavernicolini, Bolboderini, Linshcosteini and Alberproseniini tribes constitute monophyletic groups, while the Triatomini tribe is considered polyphyletic. The New World is the center of triatomine diversity and seems to be the point of group origin. Of approximately 137 triatomine species, 105 are only found in the Americas. It is now considered that triatomines represent a polyphyletic group defined according to their convergent apomorphic hematophagous characters, which have appeared several times in Reduviidae. This study revises the phylogeny of these vectors of Chagas' disease, covering such topics as the origin of hematophagy in triatomines and ancestral proposal for the group.

La première observation in natura de l’entomophagie dePanstrongylus geniculatus(Latreille 1811) hématophage vecteur de la maladie de Chagas (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)

“…L'entomophagie facultative est connue chez les Triatominae, elle représente probablement un trait ancestral pour ces hématophages (souvent considéré à tort comme exclusif pour cette sous-famille) qui auraient pour origine une lignée d'Hétéroptères cimicomorphes prédateurs (ou plusieurs, sous l'hypothèse de polyphylie des Triatominae, voir par exemple Schaeff er 2003, Tartarotti et al 2006, hypothèse réfutée par Weirauch (2008) qui a soutenu récemment la probable monophylie de ce groupe). Ce caractère considéré comme primitif peut cependant conférer certains avantages adaptatifs aux espèces qui le possède.…”

“…Quelques espèces de Triatoma, les larves et adultes de Eratyrus mucronatus Stål 1859, de Belminus herreri Lent &Wygodzinsky 1979 (notamment sur d'autres Triatominae, alors qualifi é de cleptohématophagie) sont connus pour se nourrir occasionnellement sur d'autres insectes et arthropodes (Sandoval et al 2000;Schofi eld, 2000;Rocha et al 2005;Tartarotti et al 2006). Mais ce comportement est rarement observé dans la nature, plus souvent en élevage (incluant du cannibalisme).…”

Genetics and evolution of triatomines: from phylogeny to vector control

“…The evolution and diversification of the Triatominae is thought to have coincided with that of mammals and birds during the Jurassic period (Schofield, 2000, Tartarotti et al 2006. They belong to the Reduviidae (Heteroptera), a much older family of predatory bugs (already present in the Permian-Triassic period) with a worldwide distribution that feeds on other insects rather than sucking blood (Schofield, 2000).…”

“…They belong to the Reduviidae (Heteroptera), a much older family of predatory bugs (already present in the Permian-Triassic period) with a worldwide distribution that feeds on other insects rather than sucking blood (Schofield, 2000). It is believed that the evolution of the Cimicidae blood-sucking bugs in Africa preceded that of Triatominae in America and thus prevented their expansion on the African continent by occupying their potential ecological niche (Tartarotti et al 2006).…”

“…The most commonly used characters are head and wing shape (Dujardin et al, 1999b;dos Santos et al, 2003;Dumonteil et al, 2007), but a number of other characters have been used such as the structure of the male genitalia (Obara et al, 2007), the egg (dos Santos et al, 2009), antenna (Silva et al, 2002;Catala et al, 2005) and rostrum (Silva et al, 2003). Within the triatomines, for example, the monophylly of the Rhodiniini tribe has been supported by apical antenna insertion, body forms, post-ocular callosities, male genital characteristics, egg surface architecture and salivary gland protein composition (Tartarotti et al, 2006).…”