Habitat-Specific Occupancy and a Metapopulation Model of Triatoma sordida (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), a Secondary Vector of Chagas Disease, in Northeastern Argentina.

摘要: Triatoma sordida Stal (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), a secondary vector of Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae), occasionally colonizes human sleeping quarters in Paraguay, Bolivia, and Brazil, whereas only sylvatic peridomestic populations are found Argentina. We carried out cross-sectional survey house infestation well-defined rural area northeastern Argentina to identify the key habitats T. sordida; describe its spatial distribution an apparently undisturbed setting under no recent insecticide treatment use metapopulation theory investigate these spatially structured populations. Timed-manual searches 2,177 georeferenced sites from 368 houses yielded 78 (house prevalence, 19.9%). Most triatomines occurred chicken nests, coops, trees where chickens roosted (prime habitats). Goat or sheep corrals pig had lower fraction occupied (occupancies) abundance. Both occupancy catch increased with increasing refuge availability according multimodel inference model averaging. The majority suitable were unoccupied despite their proximity sites. site-specific occurrence infestans Klug Reduviidae) was positively homogeneously associated over ecotopes, showing evidence interspecific interference. An incidence function (including intersite distances carrying capacity) predicted fivefold greater relative observed pattern, suggesting latter represented transient state. failed colonize quarters, thrived by chickens, limited likely related poor colonizing ability instability prime habitats.