Dipetalogaster

Dipetalogaster
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Family: Reduviidae
Subfamily: Triatominae
Tribe: Triatomini
Genus: Dipetalogaster
Usinger, 1939
Species:
D. maxima
Binomial name
Dipetalogaster maxima
(Uhler, 1894)

Dipetalogaster, a genus of Triatominae, the kissing bugs, has only a single species, Dipetalogaster maxima (often misspelled as "maximus", e.g.[1]), which is found in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. Originally the blood-sucking Dipetalogaster lived in crevices in rocks where it typically fed on lizards,[1] but following human growth in its range it now also commonly feeds on humans and domestic animals.[2]

Dipetalogaster is routinely infected by the Chagas disease parasite Trypanosoma cruzi.[1][3][4] In contrast to this risk, laboratory kept Dipetalogaster can be used for extracting blood samples from animals where other methods are stressful or risky (such as certain zoo animals and wild animals).[5] The bite of Dipetalogaster is essentially painless because of the very thin mouthpart apparatus (about 0.02 mm or 0.8 thou, far less than a typical hypodermic needle) and the anaesthetic effect of its saliva.[5] The blood can be extracted from the Dipetalogaster without killing it and with few exceptions (such as sodium and potassium) show no differences compared to blood extracted using conventional methods.[5]

At up to 5 cm (2.0 in) in length, Dipetalogaster is the largest species of the subfamily, but otherwise it resembles the better-known Rhodnius prolixus.[2]

  1. ^ a b c Ryckman, Raymond E.; Ryckman, Albert E. (1967). "Epizootiology of Trypanosoma cruzi in Southwestern North America, Part X: The Biosystematics of Dipetalogaster maximus in Mexico (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)(Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomidae)". Journal of Medical Entomology. 4 (2): 180–188. doi:10.1093/jmedent/4.2.180. PMID 4963987.
  2. ^ a b Assumpção TC, Charneau S, Santiago PB, Francischetti IM, Meng Z, Araújo CN, Pham VM, Queiroz RM, de Castro CN, Ricart CA, Santana JM, Ribeiro JM (2011). "Insight into the salivary transcriptome and proteome of Dipetalogaster maxima". J. Proteome Res. 10 (2): 669–679. doi:10.1021/pr100866h. PMC 3035102. PMID 21058630.
  3. ^ Garcia, Elio S.; Dvorak, James A. (1982). "Growth and development of two Trypanosoma cruzi clones in the arthropod Dipetalogaster maximus". The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 31 (2): 259–262. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.1982.31.259. PMID 7041664.
  4. ^ Jiménez, María-Luisa; Llinas, Jorge; Palacios, Carlos (2003). "Infection rates in Dipetalogaster maximus (Reduviidae: Triatominae) by Trypanosoma cruzi in the Cape Region, Baja California Sur, México". Journal of Medical Entomology. 40 (1): 18–21. doi:10.1603/0022-2585-40.1.18. PMID 12597648. S2CID 31772112.
  5. ^ a b c S.N. Markvardsen; M. Kjelgaard-Hansen; C. Ritz; D.B. Sørensen (2012). "Less invasive blood sampling in the animal laboratory: clinical chemistry and haematology of blood obtained by the Triatominae bug Dipetalogaster maximus". Laboratory Animals. 46 (2): 136–41. doi:10.1258/la.2011.011063. PMID 22334876.