Morphological aspects of triatominae eggs: II. Macroscopic and exochorial characteristics of ten species of the genus Rhodnius Stal, 1859 (Hemiptera - Reduviidae)

Abstract

Morphological studies of exochorial patterns of Rhodnius (Hemiptera-Reduviidae) genus were made. Ten species were studied by scanning and common microscopy, and data were described mainly for systematic purposes. The species included are Rhodnius domesticus Neiva & Pinto, 1923; R. ecuadoriensis Lent & Leon, 1958; R. nasutus Stal, 1959; R. neglectus Lent, 1954; R. neivai Lent, 1953; R. pallescens Barber, 1932; R. paraensis Sherlock, Guitton & Miles, 1977; R. pictipes Stal, 1872; R. prolixus Stal, 1859; and R. robustus Larrousse, 1927. General aspects of eggs and shells such as shape, color patterns, and size measurements are also presented. Data about changes of coloration occurred during egg maturation were recorded and related to the embryonic development. The characteristics described were utilized to work out identification keys for these Triatominae eggs, both by optical and scanning electron microscopy.