Attraction of Rhodnius prolixus males to a synthetic female-pheromone blend.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The triatomine bug Rhodnius prolixus Stål, 1859 (Heteroptera: Reduviidae) is the primary vector of Chagas disease in Colombia and Venezuela. An important step in controlling Chagas disease is monitoring the growth and spread of bug populations to inform effective management. Such monitoring could be carried out using pheromone traps. To develop effective pheromone traps, it is vital to understand the pheromone chemistry of R. prolixus. Previous studies have found that female R. prolixus metasternal gland secretions induce males to: leave shelters, take off, orientate during walking, aggregate around mating pairs, and mate. This study aims to identify a synthetic blend of female metasternal gland compounds that could be used to attract R. prolixus.

Results

We inves

SUBMITTER: Bohman B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6048742 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature