title: Comparison of biological fitness in crosses between subspecies of Meccus phyllosomus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) in southern Mexico.
abstract: Understanding the biological parameters of some triatomine subspecies of Meccus phyllosomus (Burmeister) is a crucial first step in estimating the epidemiologic importance of this group. Biological parameters related to hatching, lifetime, number of blood meals to molt, percentage of females at the end of the cycle, number of laid eggs, and mortality for each instar of 3 M. phyllosomus subspecies [M. p. mazzottii (Usinger), M. p. pallidipennis (Stål), and M. p. phyllosomus] and their laboratory hybrids were evaluated and compared. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were found among the experimental hybrids (MaPa, MaPhy, PaPhy) and reciprocal cohorts. In 5 (hatching, number of blood meals to molt, accumulative mortality, percentage of females, and mean number of laid eggs) of the 6 studied parameters (with the exception of development time), the hybrid cohorts had better fitness results than the parental cohorts involved in each set of crosses. The increase in hybrid fitness found in our study could lead to an increase in the epidemiologic risks caused by transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi to humans.
authors.affiliation: Área de Entomología Médica, Universidad de Guadalajara,  Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco, México.
authors.forename: José Alejandro
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martínez-Ibarra
authors.affiliation: Becario de COFAA, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas,  Instituto Politécnico Nacional, D.F., México.
authors.forename: Benjamín
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nogueda-Torres
authors.affiliation: Carrera de Medicina, Departamento de Salud y Bienestar, Centro Universitario del Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco, México.
authors.forename: Luis Fernando
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Salazar-Montaño
authors.affiliation: Carrera de Medicina, Departamento de Salud y Bienestar, Centro Universitario del Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco, México.
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: García-Lino
authors.affiliation: Carrera de Medicina, Departamento de Salud y Bienestar, Centro Universitario del Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco, México.
authors.forename: Demver
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arroyo-Reyes
authors.affiliation: Carrera de Medicina, Departamento de Salud y Bienestar, Centro Universitario del Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco, México.
authors.forename: Juan Ángel
authors.initials: JÁ
authors.lastname: Hernández-Navarro
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D056084:Genetic Fitness; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D007303:Insect Vectors; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D018978:Molting / Q000235:genetics; D014225:Triatominae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development
keywords: Chagas disease; Meccus subspecies; Mexico; Trypanosoma cruzi transmission; biological parameters; triatomines