Capture of Triatoma arthurneivai ( Hemiptera : Reduviidae ) using a new luminous trap in Southeast Brazil

Introduction: Triatomine bug captures in the wild are laborious and timeconsuming. Some traps may assist in this task. We report a new trap design and the capture of a specimen of a triatomine rarely found. Methods: Two luminous traps were installed in the city of Diamantina, State of Minas Gerais, and surveyed weekly for a year. Results: A Triatoma arthurneivai female and other triatomine bugs were caught. Conclusions: A new trap design may be used in triatomine bugs field captures, mainly in low density areas. We assume the center of endemism of Triatoma arthurneivai is the Espinhaço Mountain range.

Research and methodologies used in triatomine capture in the wild environment are generally extremely laborious and minimally efficient, thus most reports of these insects occurs when they invade the artificial environments and are notified by the residents.Thus, current knowledge regarding the ecological aspects of triatomines in the wild environment is fragmented and insufficient.
For a lot of species, direct capture in their probable natural ecotopes does not offer good results, mainly due to low population density and environmental complexity 1,2 .The use of traps has been an alternative method for triatomine capture, contributing to knowledge of species distribution and their population dynamics 3 .Among the trap designs commonly used in field research are those that use illumination sources or live-baits as an insect attractant [4][5][6] .
Despite showing positive results, these trap models have limited application and present several difficulties in their use, either due to the necessity for daily handling or the constant presence of an observer.Therefore, the development of traps that improve monitorization of triatomine populations in their natural environment, with reduced work detachment for the investigators, is the subject of this study.The trap consisted of a photovoltaic cell with a rechargeable nickel and cadmium battery, with energy supplied by sunlight (Figure 1).Daily, during twilight, a photo sensor determined the lighting of a lamp that remained lit overnight.Inside the trap, acrylic fins were fitted in order to contain the arrival of insects during flight, such that they fell in a container in which they were imprisoned.Weekly, an observer checked the traps for triatomine presence and also tested the lamp.
After two months permanence of the traps in the field, a female of Triatoma arthurneivai was captured (Figure 2).During the period that the traps were in the field, one year, specimens from two another species were also captured: two females of Panstrongylus geniculatus (Latreille, 1811) and one female of Triatoma vitticeps (Stål, 1859), (18°11'54'' S 43°34'01'' W, 1,331m).Direct searches were also performed in the possible ecotopes surrounding the capture locations (stones, barks, nests and animals burrows), as well as the installation of 60 traps with mice as the attractive 5 , though no other specimens were found.
Triatoma arthurneivai was described by Lent and Martins 7 , from a specimen captured in a stone pile in the Alto do Palácio farm, Serra do Cipó region, Jaboticatubas county (currently Santana do Riacho), State of Minas Gerais.In the same year, these authors collected a further 17 nymphs in the same location.Later, the species was found by Pellegrino 8  where 248 specimens were captured, and in the State of Paraná, Guairá county 11 .However, recent studies of morphometry have showed that the insects captured outside the Serra do Cipó region are specimens of Triatoma wygodzinskyi Lent, 1951, considering outstanding differences among the populations studied 2,12,13 .
The City of Diamantina and the capture location of the species (Santana do Riacho at Serra do Cipó) are located in the Espinhaço Range at about 1,370m altitude, show similar characteristics of vegetation and relief and are about 130km from each other (Figure 3A).In the rocky grasslands, the predominant phytophysiognomy is that of the Cerrado biome, which usually occurs at altitudes above 900m, and the occurrence of herbaceous species of the families Graminae, Gypraceae, Eriocaulaceae and Xyridaceae is characteristic.The eventual occurrence of some small trees and bushes is also observed 14 .The rocky composition The present work introduces an alternative model of luminous trap and reports the capture of Triatoma arthurneivai Lent & Martins, 1940, a species rarely found.Two luminous trap units were installed in an area of Campus II of the Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys, Diamantina county, State of Minas Gerais, southeast Brazil, in order to evaluate the seasonal dispersion of triatomines by flight in this area.

FIgURE 1 -FIgURE 2 -
Photovoltaic cell and photo sensor 25cm