Chagas-disease-vector
Guides
Triatoma lecticularia
kissing bug
Triatoma lecticularia is a kissing bug in the subfamily Triatominae, a group of blood-feeding assassin bugs. It is a known vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease. The species has been documented in North America and Mexico, with records extending to northwestern Mexico where it has been introduced. Like other triatomines, it is an obligate hematophagous insect requiring blood meals for development and reproduction. It has been found in dog kennels in Texas, where it poses transmission risks to canines.