Triatoma infestans
Blood-sucking bug that spreads disease / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Triatoma infestans, commonly called winchuka[1] or vinchuca[2] in Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay and Chile, barbeiro in Brazil, chipo in Venezuela and also known as "kissing bug" or "barber bug" in English, is a blood-sucking bug (like virtually all the members of its subfamily Triatominae) and the most important vector of Trypanosoma cruzi which can lead to Chagas disease. It is widespread in the Southern Cone countries of South America.[ZR 1] This region has joined the control intervention called Southern Cone Initiative managed by the PAHO.
Triatoma infestans | |
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Adult of Triatoma infestans | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hemiptera |
Suborder: | Heteroptera |
Family: | Reduviidae |
Genus: | Triatoma |
Species: | T. infestans |
Binomial name | |
Triatoma infestans Klug, 1834 | |
Synonyms | |
Triatoma infestans melanosoma Martínez, Olmedo & Carcavallo, 1987 |
During the Beagle survey voyage, Charles Darwin noted in his journal for 26 March 1835 having "experienced an attack, & it deserves no less a name, of the Benchuca, the great black bug of the Pampas. It is most disgusting to feel soft wingless insects, about an inch long, crawling over ones body; before sucking they are quite thin, but afterwards round & bloated with blood, & in this state they are easily squashed." Richard Keynes describes this Benchuca as being Triatoma infestans.[3] Darwin is speculated to have died from chronic Chagas disease.[4]