Characterization of the Buccula, Rostrum, Stridulatory Sulcus, Scutellum, and External Female Genitalia ofTriatoma carcavalloi(Jurberg, Rocha & Lent, 1998),Triatoma circummaculata(Stål, 1859), andTriatoma rubrovaria(Blanchard, 1843) (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae)

Abstract

In Brazil,Triatoma rubrovaria(Blanchard, 1843) is the most important species in epidemiological terms in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, due to its wide geographical distribution in this state, followed byT. carcavalloi(Jurberg, Rocha & Lent, 1998) andT. circummaculata(Stål, 1859). Structural analysis of the ventral region of the head (rostrum and buccula), thorax (stridulatorium sulcus and scutellum), and external female genitalia of adults ofT. rubrovaria,T. carcavalloi, andT. circummaculatais described here. Scutellum, head, rostrum, and part of the thorax (prosternum) containing the stridulatory sulcus, in both male and female, and the sixth abdominal segment of the female, containing the external genitalia, were processed for scanning electron microscopy studies as routine. Morphological differences in the analyzed structures for all the threeTriatomaspecies studied were detected under scanning electron microscopy. This study confirms the grouping of theT. rubrovaria, T. carcavalloi,andT. circummaculatain ‘T. rubrovariasubcomplex’ by their morphological similarities.