Rhodnius domesticus Neiva & Pinto, 1923

Rhodnius domesticus Neiva & Pinto, 1923 View in CoL

Distribution. Alagoas, Bahia, EspÍrito Santo, Maranhão, Minas Gerais, Paraná, PiauÍ, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Sergipe (this occurrence was recorded for R. zeledoni , currently a synonym of R. domesticus – Oliveira-Correia et al. 2024).

Public health importance. Although its name could suggest that it would be a domestic species, it is sylvatic and has been found in human habitations only in isolated instances. Free-living populations have been found mainly in rodent or marsupial nests in epiphytic bromeliads, and occasionally in hollow trees ( Lent and Wygodzinsky 1979, Guarneri et al. 1998). It has been found naturally infected with T. cruzi and T. rangeli , but of less importance as a vector ( Corrêa-do-Nascimento et al. 2020).

Remarks. The life cycle of this species has been studied in the laboratory by Guarneri et al. (1998).