Improvements in routine xenodiagnosis with first instar Dipetalogaster maximus (Uhler 1894) (Triatominae).

First instar Dipetalogaster maximus proved as effective as third instar Triatoma infestans in detecting circulating Trypanosoma cruzi in patients with chronic infections examined in a routine xenodiagnostic laboratory. Since rearing costs are diminished, D. maximus has now replaced T. infestans as the xenodiagnostic agent in our laboratory. However, further work is needed to define the optimal conditions necessary when using this species in xenodiagnosis.