Aplicación de técnicas inmunológicas de depredación en Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)

Resumen

An immunological technique used to study the interrelation between prey and predator is described. Immune serum was obtained by injecting extracts of eggs of Triatoma infestans of one week of age into rabbits and rats. The presence of antibodies was verified with Ouchterlony test. The specificity of the serum and antiserum was tested in extracts of all stages of Triatoma infestans, in eggs and lst. instar nymphs of Rhodnius proxilus and in adults of Periplaneta americana. Only triatomines showed a positive reaction in Ouchterlony test, indicated by clear precipitation bands. No positive reaction was obtained for Periplaneta americana. These results suggest that the antiserum used presents a marked specificity towards the subfamily Triatominae. This immunological method can ben used, therefore, in the study of triatominophagy by cockroaches and in the study of the role of common predator of triatomines and cockroaches.