Oviposition in the blood-sucking insect Rhodnius prolixus is modulated by host odors

GUIDOBALDI F; GUERENSTEIN PG

PARASITES AND VECTORS

BIOMED CENTRAL LTD

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2015 vol. 8 p. 1 - 7

1756-3305

Background Triatomine bugs are blood-sucking insects, vectors of Chagas disease. Despite their importance, their oviposition behavior has received relatively little attention. Some triatomines including Rhodnius prolixus stick their eggs to a substrate. It is known that mechanical cues stimulate oviposition in this species. However, it is not clear if chemical signals play a role in this behavior. We studied the role of host cues, including host odor, in the oviposition behavior of the triatomine R. prolixus; Methods Tests were carried out in an experimental arena and stimuli consisted of a mouse or hen feathers. The number of eggs laid and the position of those eggs with respect to the stimulus source were recorded. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests; Results Both a mouse and hen feathers stimulated oviposition. In addition, hen feathers evoked a particular spatial distribution of eggs that was not observed in the case of mouse; Conclusions We propose that volatile chemical cues from the host play a role in the oviposition behavior of triatomines that stick their eggs. Thus, host odor would stimulate and spatially guide oviposition.