Differences on biological attributes of three populations of Meccus pallidipennis Stål (Hemiptera: Reduviidae).
OBJECTIVE
Meccus pallidipennis is one of the most epidemiologically important vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi to reservoir hosts in nine states of Mexico. Triatomines occurring in distinct locations normally adapt to local conditions. The aim of this study was to examine the biological attributes of three populations of M. pallidipennis from areas with different environmental characteristics as a factor influencing the triatomine capacity for T. cruzi transmission.


METHODS
The values of biological parameters related to the life cycle, the number of blood meals to molt to next instar, fecundity and percentage of females after a biological cycle of three populations of M. pallidipennis were evaluated. A cohort of each of the three studied populations from different geographical areas of Mexico was maintained under similar laboratory conditions and then compared with each other.


RESULTS
The life cycle was less than six months in all the studied cohorts, with differences among them. The number of blood meals to molt was lower for the cohort from Izϊcar de Matamoros. Laid eggs per day per female was lower for the cohort from Luvianos. In contrast, no important differences were recorded on the percentage of mortality, egg eclosion rate or percentages of obtained females.


CONCLUSIONS
It was found that an important level of heterogeneity exist between the three studied populations of M. pallidipennis, apparently influenced by the remarkable differences on environmental conditions on the localities where the founders were initially collected, that emphasizes the necessity of studies on local populations of triatomines.
Área de Entomología Médica, Centro Universitario del Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco, Mexico.
José A
JA
Martínez-Ibarra
Benjamin
B
Nogueda-Torres
Paz M
PM
Salazar-Schettino
Mauro O
MO
Vences-Blanco
Felipe J
FJ
de la Torre-Álvarez
Oziel D
OD
Montañez-Valdez
D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology; D005843:Geography; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology*; D008018:Life Cycle Stages / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D009026:Mortality; D020064:Reduviidae / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology*; D012744:Sex Ratio; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi