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Phenotypic and genetic variation of Triatoma costalimai (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)
Daniel Pagotto Vendrami1, Walter Ceretti-Junior2, Marcos Takashi Obara3
1Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Introduction:
We aimed to study intraspecific variation in Triatoma costalimai, a potential vector of Chagas disease present in Brazil and Bolivia.
Methods:
We analyzed phenotypic (connexivum color patterns, wing morphometrics) and genetic variation (16S mtDNA) of three Brazilian T. costalimai populations. We compared 16S sequences with those of putative Bolivian T. costalimai and its sister species, T. jatai.
Results:
Brazilian populations had different connexivum color patterns and forewing shapes. A 16S mtDNA haplotype network showed a clear separation of Brazilian T. costalimai from both T. jatai and Bolivian T. costalimai.
Conclusions:
We report considerable variability in T. costalimai populations.
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