Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (Nov 2009)

Comparative descriptions of eggs from three species of Rhodnius (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae)

  • Carolina M dos Santos,
  • José Jurberg,
  • Cleber Galvão,
  • João A da Rosa,
  • Walter C Júnior,
  • José MS Barata,
  • Marcos T Obara

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0074-02762009000700013
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 104, no. 7
pp. 1012 – 1018

Abstract

Read online

The authors describe and compare the morphological and ultrastructural characteristics of eggs from the three most recent described species of the genus Rhodnius Stål, 1859, which have not previously been studied. These species are Rhodnius colombiensis (Mejia, Galvão & Jurberg 1999), Rhodnius milesi (Carcavallo, Rocha, Galvão & Jurberg 2001) and Rhodnius stali (Lent, Jurberg & Galvão 1993). The results revealed that there are similarities in the exochorial architecture of optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy; these include the predominance of hexagonal cells that are common to all Rhodnius species and variable degrees of lateral flattening, which is common not only to species of this genus, but also to the Rhodniini tribe. Differences in overall colour, the presence of a collar in R. milesi, a longitudinal bevel in R. stali and the precise length of R. colombiensis can be useful distinguishing features. As a result of this study, the key for egg identification proposed by Barata in 1981 can be updated.

Keywords