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20 September 2024 Comparative study of the stridulatory groove in species of Triatoma (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) from Mexico
Nancy Rivas, Alberto Antonio-Campos, Keity J. Farfán-Pira, Ricardo Alejandre-Aguilar
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Abstract

The stridulation in the subfamily Triatominae has been identified as a means of communication between species, produced by the friction of the proboscis on the prosternal stridulatory groove. Despite its biological significance, this phenomenon remains understudied, with the signal's production seemingly contingent upon the morphology of the stridulatory groove. In this study, we examined the morphology of stridulatory grooves in females and males of five species and two subspecies of Mexican triatomines using morphometric and scanning electron microscopical analysis. Our findings reveal that all analyzed species exhibit triangular-shaped stridulatory grooves with parallel ridges covering the entire groove, bordered on each side, and covered with setae. Surprisingly, we observed noticeable differences in the number of ridges and inter-ridge distance between the species Triatoma lecticularia and Triatoma rubida (p < 0.001 and p < 0.009, respectively), indicating sexual dimorphism in this aspect, a phenomenon not previously reported in the morphology of this structure. Our findings shed light on the intricate morphology of the stridulatory groove in Mexican triatomines, suggesting potential implications for their behavior and intra-specific communication.

Nancy Rivas, Alberto Antonio-Campos, Keity J. Farfán-Pira, and Ricardo Alejandre-Aguilar "Comparative study of the stridulatory groove in species of Triatoma (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) from Mexico," Journal of Vector Ecology 49(2), R78-R87, (20 September 2024). https://doi.org/10.52707/1081-1710-49.2.R78
Received: 14 June 2024; Accepted: 3 September 2024; Published: 20 September 2024
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KEYWORDS
Chagas disease vectors
morphology
scanning electron microscopy
stridulatory groove
Triatoma genus
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