Estudio ecológico sobre una población domiciliaria de Triatoma infestans klug de la Provincia Biogeográfica Chaqueña

Resumen

A typical country house located in an endemic chagasic area (La Batea, Córdoba,
Argentina), was completely demolished on order lo look primarily upon the numerical level achieved by triatomines population as well as to establish distribution patterns and habitat preference. Furthermore, some emergent population parameters and attributes were studied, such as density, fecundity, age, structure and sex ratio.

Triatoma infestans was the only well established resident population species in the
domestic boundary, even though very few individuals belonging to the congeneric T. guasayana were detected in coexistence with the former species. A low degree of egg's parasitism by microhymenoptera was found. Ninety six sample units were taken during demolition in the bedroom’s walls in ordor to count number of eggs per unit and calculation of a dispersión index. Three removal methods for relative estimates were tested before the demolition took place, which were compared with values obtained from direct counting while demolition.

Our results show a high degree of crowding and different habitat preference for
nymphs, adults and oviposition microhabitats. T. infestaos population seems to be still well below the carrying capacity of the environment. The use of a feeding index, to calculate number of bites per day and person, required to satisfy “vinchucas” feeding needs, alowed us to postulate T. infestaos domestic population haven't yet developed an intensive intraspecific competition. This is so because the studied population would be undergoing an expansión stage of growing.