First report of & IT;Panstrongylus megistus & IT; (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae) in the State of Acre and Rondonia, Amazon, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: This article reports, for the first time, the occurrence of Panstrongylus megistus in the Brazilian Western Amazon.& para;& para;Methods: Specimens of P. megistus were collected in the cities of Rio Branco, Acre and Extrema, Rondonia.& para;& para;Results: The number of triatomine species in the State of Acre increased from eight to nine and in Rondonia from seven to eight. This was also the first report of P. megistus in the Brazilian Western Amazon.& para;& para;Conclusion The occurrence of P. megistus in the Western Amazon evidences an epidemiological alert, since it is an important vector of T. cruzi.