New in morphometry: Geometric morphometry of the external female genitalia of Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)

Abstract

The study of geometric morphometry has an impact on Triatominae studies. Currently, several taxonomic and systematic studies use this approach. The Triatominae subfamily comprises three fossil species and 154 extant species potentially capable of transmitting Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. This study aims to evaluate the external female genitalia of adult triatomines using multivariate geometric morphometric approaches, not only for validation but also for systematic inferences. Specimens belonging to the genera Panstrongylus, Psammolestes, Rhodnius, and Triatoma were evaluated, in addition to two species previously included in Triatoma: T. longipennis and T. phyllosoma. The results show that the external female genitalia have operational morphology and allow characterization of the species and the genera of the Triatominae. In addition, the multivariate technique enabled delimitation of the phylogenetic relationships of the subfamily, presenting results consistent with systematic studies. It can be concluded that the external female genitalia evaluated by geometric morphometry is a useful character for the taxonomy and systematics of Triatominae.