{"title":"Population size regulation is density-dependent in Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) through an irritability mechanism.","authors":"Enrique Hector Weir, Jorge Eduardo Rabinovich","doi":"10.1590/0074-02760220211","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Physical factors can determine the level of triatomine abundance, but do not regulate their population densities, and neither do natural enemies.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To identify the processes associated with density-dependent triatomine population regulation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We set-up a laboratory experiment with four interconnected boxes; the central box harbored Rhodnius prolixus bugs and one hamster. Stage 5 and adult densities of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 60 bugs per hamster, were replicated four times (except the density of 60 bugs). Hamster's irritability and several triatomine responses were measured: feeding, development time and longevity, mortality, fecundity, dispersal, and the net reproductive value (R o ).</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Density had a statistically significant effect on irritability, but not on the percent of bugs feeding. Density was significant on blood meal size ingested in bugs that did not move between boxes, but not significant when the bugs moved. Density and irritability affected the proportion of stage 5 nymphs molting, and the proportion of adult bugs dying per day and over a three-week period. There was a highly significant effect of density and irritability on R o .</p><p><strong>Main conclusions: </strong>We showed that a density-dependent mechanism, acting through the irritability of the host, seems the most plausible process regulating populations in triatomines.</p>","PeriodicalId":18469,"journal":{"name":"Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz","volume":"118 ","pages":"e220211"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5000,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10243471/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1590/0074-02760220211","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PARASITOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Physical factors can determine the level of triatomine abundance, but do not regulate their population densities, and neither do natural enemies.
Objectives: To identify the processes associated with density-dependent triatomine population regulation.
Methods: We set-up a laboratory experiment with four interconnected boxes; the central box harbored Rhodnius prolixus bugs and one hamster. Stage 5 and adult densities of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 60 bugs per hamster, were replicated four times (except the density of 60 bugs). Hamster's irritability and several triatomine responses were measured: feeding, development time and longevity, mortality, fecundity, dispersal, and the net reproductive value (R o ).
Findings: Density had a statistically significant effect on irritability, but not on the percent of bugs feeding. Density was significant on blood meal size ingested in bugs that did not move between boxes, but not significant when the bugs moved. Density and irritability affected the proportion of stage 5 nymphs molting, and the proportion of adult bugs dying per day and over a three-week period. There was a highly significant effect of density and irritability on R o .
Main conclusions: We showed that a density-dependent mechanism, acting through the irritability of the host, seems the most plausible process regulating populations in triatomines.
期刊介绍:
Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz is a journal specialized in microbes & their vectors causing human infections. This means that we accept manuscripts covering multidisciplinary approaches and findings in the basic aspects of infectious diseases, e.g. basic in research in prokariotes, eukaryotes, and/or virus. Articles must clearly show what is the main question to be answered, the hypothesis raised, and the contribution given by the study.
Priority is given to manuscripts reporting novel mechanisms and general findings concerning the biology of human infectious prokariotes, eukariotes or virus. Papers reporting innovative methods for diagnostics or that advance the basic research with these infectious agents are also welcome.
It is important to mention what we do not publish: veterinary infectious agents research, taxonomic analysis and re-description of species, epidemiological studies or surveys or case reports and data re-analysis. Manuscripts that fall in these cases or that are considered of low priority by the journal editorial board, will be returned to the author(s) for submission to another journal.