title: First record of Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Diptera: Phoridae) infesting laboratory colonies of Triatoma brasiliensis Neiva (Hemiptera: Reduviidae).
abstract: Megaselia scalaris (Loew) is a cosmopolitan and synanthropic scuttle fly, eclectic in its feeding habits and acts as detritivore, parasite, facultative parasite, and parasitoid. Here we report for the first time M. scalaris infesting laboratory colonies of Triatoma brasiliensis Neiva, the most important Chagas disease vector in semiarid areas of Brazil. M. scalaris larvae were found feeding inside bugs; pupae were found in the esophagus and intestinal regions of T. brasiliensis through dissection. Other relevant information about this finding is also described in this note, including some preventive measures to avoid laboratory colonies infestations.
authors.affiliation: Depto Entomologia, Lab da Coleção Entomológica, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz Av Brasil, Manguinhos, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Carlos E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Gleidson M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Esperança
authors.forename: Nínive
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: Jacenir R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Dos S Mallet
authors.forename: Teresa C M
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Angelo P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: do Prado
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory / Q000469:parasitology*; D004175:Diptera / Q000502:physiology*; D020064:Reduviidae / Q000469:parasitology*