title: Genetic and Morphometric Variability of Triatoma sordida (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) from the Eastern and Western Regions of Paraguay.
abstract: Triatoma sordida is widely distributed throughout the Chaco and the Eastern Region of Paraguay. It is associated to palm trees and artificial ecotopes located in peridomestic environments. The aim of this work was to determine genetic and morphometric variability and feeding behavior among population of T. sordida captured in domicile and peridomicile areas of Paraguay. Feeding contents and levels of genetic and morphometric variation were determined in 124 T. sordida from domicile and peridomicile populations of San Pedro and Paraguarí departments of the Eastern Region and Boquerón and Presidente Hayes departments of the Western region using Double Diffusion Gel, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), and head and wings morphometry. Morphometric analysis revealed isolation of populations by geographic region and larger size in triatomine populations from the Western Region. RAPD showed no specific patterns for domicile and peridomicile populations. The estimator of diversity (F ST; 0.08) and high gene flow obtained (N m; 5.7) did not allow the establishment of genetic differentiation within the same region. The blood meal source showed that poultry feeding was 38% of host preferences, and human blood was the second feeding preference (24%) in the insects from the Eastern Region while poultry feeding was predominant in those from the Western Region (30%). This work showed homogeneity between T. sordida populations of the same region and between domicile and peridomicile. The genetic diversity was determined among T. sordida populations of both geographical regions suggesting differentiation associated to eco-geographical isolation by distance. It is important to notice that pattern feedings were different between the two regions. Further studies should be focused on how phenetic and genetic variations could be related to the adaptation capacity of these triatomine populations to domicile, increasing their vector potentiality in the transmission of Chagas disease.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS), Universidad Nacional de Asunción , Asunción , Paraguay ; Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de Protozoarios, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidad Central de Venezuela , Caracas , Venezuela.
authors.forename: Nilsa E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Britez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de Protozoarios, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidad Central de Venezuela , Caracas , Venezuela.
authors.forename: Hernán J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Carrasco
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de Protozoarios, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidad Central de Venezuela , Caracas , Venezuela.
authors.forename: Clara Elena
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Martínez Purroy
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (BIOMED), Universidad de Carabobo , Maracay , Venezuela.
authors.forename: M Dora
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Feliciangeli
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS), Universidad Nacional de Asunción , Asunción , Paraguay.
authors.forename: Marisel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maldonado
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS), Universidad Nacional de Asunción , Asunción , Paraguay.
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: López
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de Protozoarios, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidad Central de Venezuela , Caracas , Venezuela.
authors.forename: Maikell J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Segovia
authors.affiliation: Centro para el Desarrollo de la Investigación Científica (CEDIC)/Díaz Gill Medicina Laboratorial/Fundación Moisés Bertoni , Asunción , Paraguay.
authors.forename: Antonieta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rojas de Arias
keywords: Chagas disease; RAPD; Triatoma sordida; feeding content; morphometric analysis