Encontro de um novo hematophago do homem com hábitos domiciliares: Nota prévia

Abstract

The interest of the subject dealt w i t h in this report lies chiefly in the knowledge of a new blood-sucking bug of domestic habits and feeding on man. The A . A . confirm the hematophagism of some hemipterous insects of the Lyg^aeidae family, and add their observations to Bergroth's reference of hematophagic habits of an Australian species of the genus Clerada, C. nidicola, w i t h wild habits. The American species observed, C. apicicornis, shows a better adaptation to hematophagism, living in human habitations and drawing blood from human beings. The importance of the domiciliary habits of C. apicicornis found in the Amazon estuary grows in interest w i t h the fact that i t has not yet been possible to find in this region domiciliary reduvid bugs, but only Panstrongylus geniculatus which is knowvto live in the jungle, and Rhodnius pictipes that the A . A . believe to have the same w i l d habits. These two bugs, called by the natives "bruxas" (witches) can be found from August to January in the habitations where they enter in small numbers, draw the blood of the inhabitants, and go back to the jungle soon after. Finally, the fact that C. apicicornis was found in the only two houses searched so distant one from the other, seems to denote a large incidence and wide distribution for the new hematophage.