Colonization of rock pile boundary walls in fields by sylvatic triatomines (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Jalisco State, Mexico.

Granite rocks is a very abundant material in Mexico because they are used habitually as borders for fields. The current work established the significance of this ecotype as a colonization site for triatomines of the Phyllosoma complex. Seven sites, arbitrary selected, in San Martin de Hidalgo municipality (Mexico) were investigated in April 2002 by using 210 mouse bait-traps left during the night in wall hollows. One hundred and seventy-two triatomines of all life stages were collected from the seven sites. Triatomines adhered to the tape that covered the traps or were found near them, and 36.6% of the traps collected triatomines. The principal species was Triatomia longipennis Usinger (1939) and low numbers of Triatoma picturata Usinger (1939) were found. The nymphal population was very young, probably corresponding to the reproductive period in April (end of the dry season). The infection rate of the triatomines for Trypanosoma cruzi was 49%. Because collecting triatomines in the field is laborious and time-consuming, the mouse bait-trap method found to be practical to assess the population of triatomines within a sylvatic habitat.