First report of Eratyrus mucronatus , Stal , 1859 , ( Hemiptera , Reduviidae , Triatominae ) , in the State of Rondônia , Brazil Primeiro relato de ocorrência da espécie Eratyrus mucronatus , Stal , 1859 , ( Hemiptera , Reduviidae , Triatominae ) , no Estado de Rondônia

Introduction: This paper reports, for the first time, the presence of the Eratyrus mucronatus species in the State of Rondonia, Brazil. Methods: These specimens were caught by chance in the forest and later they were collected using luminous traps. Results: After finding these specimens, the number of the Triatominae genera in Rondonia rose to four, while its species rose to seven. Conclusions: Complimentary studies will be conducted in order to allow for clearer understanding the ecology of this arthropod, its possible role in transmitting Chagas’ disease and its current geographical distribution.

Although the first specie (Cimex rubrofasciatus, and ultimately Triatoma rubrofasciate De Geer, 1773) was described at the end of the 18 th Century, human contact of this insect occurred a lot earlier 2,3 .
The first acknowledged report on the conformation and behavior of the genus Triatoma dates from 1590 and was written by the priest Reginaldo de Lizaárraga when he was making a trip to inspect the convents of Peru and Chile 4 .Darwin also found these insects on a trip to South America on board of the H.M.S. Beagle in 1835 4,5 .
Worldwide, 141 species belonging to 18 genera are known.In Brazil, 60 species belonging to 8 genera are acknowledged (Table 1) 5 .In the Amazonian countries, 24 species belonging to 8 genera are acknowledged 6 .Moreover, in the Brazilian Amazon, at least 18 species of sylvan triatominae belonging to 8 genera have been identified, of which 10 are related to infection by the flagellate Trypanosoma cruzi 7 .
The genus Eratyrus has morphological characteristics that resemble the genus Triatoma with antennal tubercles located at the middle third of the anteocular segment; however, it presents spines and acute pronotum posterior lobe angles.This genus comprises only two species in the world, Eratyrus mucronatus and Eratyrus cuspidatus, and only the species Eratyrus mucronatus 3,5 has been found in Brazil.
The Eratyrus mucronatus species has been reported in the Brazilian States of Amazonas, Para, Maranhão, Goiás, and Mato Grosso, and in neighboring countries, including Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guiana, French Guiana, Suriname, and Venezuela.In the State of Rondonia, it had not been identified before 5,6 .
This species has been found naturally infected by Trypanosoma cruzi, usually in sylvatic mammal nests in palm trees 8 , and has also been associated with Carvenicola pilosa 9 .
It is a species that adapts easily to stable artificial ecotones 9 and the intradomiciliary presence of E. mucronatus infected by T. cruzi has been occasionally found in Bolivia 10,11 .
This species was first reported in the municipality of Ouro Preto do Oeste, State of Rondonia, Brazil, and was found by chance along a nature trail in a reserve of the CEPLAC -Comissão Executiva do Plano da Lavoura Cacaueira (Executive Planning Commission of Cocoa Farming) (S 10º 42'49", W 62º 13'31") on November 14 th , 2009.
Later, four luminous traps, two Shannon and two CDC types, were set up on December 11 th , 12 th , and 13 th of 2009, and two more E. mucronatus species samples were caught, possibly attracted by the light of a CDC-type trap, thus proving that the sylvan triatomine species is also present in the State of Rondonia.This increases the number of species to seven, while the number of triatomine genera that have been reported in the state increased to four.
The captured triatominae were forwarded to the Laboratory of Entomology of CEPLAC, where they were identified by their external morphological conformations using a dichotomic key developed by Lent & Wygodzinsky, 1979 3 .
The Eratyrus mucronatus species (Figure 1) features the following characteristics: anterior lobe of the point 1 + 1, strong disc-shaped spines, humeral angle at the point are clearly spiny, corium with a relatively small subapical redish spot, which does not anteriorly reach the transversal nervure level, free portion of the convex vesica on the apex when viewed laterally 2,5 .
The presence of more than one triatominae species in the State of Rondonia demonstrates that the biodiversity of these insects may have been underestimated and that it is important to conduct further studies regarding triatominae fauna and their distribution throughout the state, since they are vectors of Chagas' disease and could eventually jeopardize the health of the local population.Photo by Dionatas Ulises de Oliveira Meneguetti.
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

FIgURE 1 -
FIgURE 1 -Eratyrus mucronatus species found in the municipality of Ouro Preto do Oeste, State of Rondonia, Brazil.Photo by Dionatas Ulises de Oliveira Meneguetti.