ArticleParasites & vectors2016
Everybody loves sugar: first report of plant feeding in triatomines.
Article in Parasites & vectors, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers.
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Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed.
- Viral metagenome characterization reveals species-specific virome profiles in Triatominae populations from the southern United States.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
- Laboratory culture of Triatoma sanguisuga (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) by supplementation with Drosophila artificial hemolymph media.Journal of medical entomology · 2026Article
- Evaluation of sugar meal administered anti-Leishmania compounds on the vectorial capacity of the vector, Lutzomyia longipalpis.PloS one · 2025Article
- Laboratory maintenance and care of Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) and other Triatominae.Journal of medical entomology · 2024Article
- Interaction ofMicroorganisms · 2024Review
- The pharyngeal taste organ of a blood-feeding insect functions in food recognition.BMC biology · 2024Article
- Sugar feeding in triatomines: a new perspective for controlling the transmission of Chagas disease.Frontiers in physiology · 2024Article
- What Do You Need to Know before Studying Chagas Disease? A Beginner's Guide.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2023Review
- Transcriptomic analysis of the adaptation to prolonged starvation of the insect-dwellingFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2023Article
- Contemporary exploitation of natural products for arthropod-borne pathogen transmission-blocking interventions.Parasites & vectors · 2022Review
- Metacyclogenesis of Trypanosoma cruzi in B. ferroae (Reduviidae: Triatominae) and feces infectivity under laboratory conditionsBiomedica : revista del Instituto Nacional de Salud · 2021Article
- The Olfactory Chemosensation of Hematophagous Hemipteran Insects.Frontiers in physiology · 2021Review
- Article
- Genomic comparison of Trypanosoma conorhini and Trypanosoma rangeli to Trypanosoma cruzi strains of high and low virulence.BMC genomics · 2018Article
- Detection and genotyping of Trypanosoma cruzi from açai products commercialized in Rio de Janeiro and Pará, Brazil.Parasites & vectors · 2018Article
- An insight into the salivary gland and fat body transcriptome of Panstrongylus lignarius (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), the main vector of Chagas disease in Peru.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2018Article
- Article
- Functional Characterization of Odorant Binding Protein 27 (RproOBP27) FromFrontiers in physiology · 2018Article
- Standardization of a Continuous Assay for Glycosidases and Its Use for Screening Insect Gut Samples at Individual and Populational Levels.Frontiers in physiology · 2017Article
- Article
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Authors and funding
17 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTriatomines, which are the vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, have been considered to be exclusive blood feeders for more than 100 years, since the discovery of Chagas disease.
methodsWe offered artificial sugar meals to the laboratory model-insect Rhodnius prolixus, which is considered a strict haematophagous insect. We registered feeding by adding colorant to sugar meals. To assess putative phytophagy, fruits of the tomato Solanum lycopersicum were offered to R. prolixus and the presence of tomato DNA was assessed in the insects using PCR. We also assessed longevity, blood feeding and urine production of fruit-exposed triatomines and control insects.
resultsAll instars of R. prolixus ingested sugar from artificial sugar meals in laboratory conditions. First instar R. prolixus ingested plant tissue from S. lycopersicum fruits, and this increased the amount of blood ingested and urine excreted. Decreased mortality was also observed after blood feeding. Exposure to S. lycopersicum increased longevity and reduced weight loss caused by desiccation.
conclusionsWe describe here the first report of sugar feeding and phytophagy in a species that was considered to be a strict blood-feeder for over a century. We suggest that local plants might be not merely shelters for insects and vertebrate hosts as previously described, but may have a nutritional role for the maintenance of the triatomine vectors. The description of sugar and plant meals in triatomines opens new perspectives for the study and control of Chagas Disease.
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