Rhodnius prolixus
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| Rhodnius prolixus | ||||||||||||||||
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| Rhodnius prolixus Stål, 1859 |
Rhodnius prolixus is the second most important triatomine vector of the Chagas parasite due to its efficient adaptation to the human domicile in northern South America, where sylvatic populations also exist, and in Central America where it is exclusively domestic. It has a wide range of ecotopes, mainly savanna and foot hills (500 to 1500 m above sea level) at different ranges of humidity between 16 and 28 °C. Sylvatic R. prolixus, as virtually all Rhodniini, is primarily associated with palm tree habitats and has a wide range of hosts including birds, rodents, marsupials, sloths and reptiles.
The insect was used by Sir Vincent Wigglesworth for the detection of insect hormones.
