title: Amines from vertebrates guide triatomine bugs to resources.
abstract: Most triatomine bugs (Heteroptera: Reduviidae) are nest-living insects that require vertebrate blood or invertebrate haemolymph to complete their life cycle. Vertebrates accumulate excretory products in or near their nesting sites and we hypothesize that triatomines use emanations from such host wastes when searching for resources. Here we recount how triatomine bugs increase upwind locomotion on a servosphere in response to volatile amine constituents of vertebrate excretions. Fresh chicken faeces is strongly attractive to Rhodnius prolixus nymphs. Ammonia induces attraction and an increase in both speed and total path length by R. prolixus on the servosphere. Whereas ethylamine and dimethylamine attract R. prolixus, Triatoma infestans and Panstrongylus geniculatus, other amine constituents of vertebrate excretions such as isobutylamine and hexylamine induce R. prolixus nymphs to walk faster and for a longer period. These amines are derived from generally occurring metabolites of vertebrates and from gut flora metabolism. We conclude that amines and other products associated with nesting hosts serve as signals for foraging triatomines.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2009 Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Electronic address: fotalora@ivic.gob.ve.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Otálora-Luna
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2009 Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Patrick M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Guerin
mesh_terms: D000588:Amines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002633:Chemotaxis; D002645:Chickens; D003463:Cues; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D009758:Nymph / Q000502:physiology; D009812:Odorants; D009949:Orientation; D010203:Panstrongylus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D012239:Rhodnius / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D014224:Triatoma / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds
keywords: Amines; Host finding; Insect vector; Sensory ecology; Triatominae; Triatomine bugs