ANTENNAL SENSILLA OF TRIATOMINAE (HEMIPTERA, REDUVIIDAE) - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF 5 GENERA

The paper analyses the antennal sensilla pattern of 22 species of tria tomine bugs (Hemiptera, Reduviidae). The pedicels of species from trib e Rhodniini differ from species of Cavernicolini and Triatomini, mainl y by the absence of trichoid and basiconic sensilla and by a greater n umber of Bristles I. Fifth-instar nymphs of T. sordida and R. pictipes show several differences in sensilla patterns compared with their res pective adults. They lack basiconic sensilla and thin-and thick-walled trichoid sensilla over the first flagellar segment and over the proxi mal half of the second flagellar segment. T. sordida nymphs also lack these sensilla on the pedicel. There appears to be a significant sexua l dimorphism in relation to trichoid sensilla in T. sordida, but not i n R. pictipes. There exists a remarkable correlation between the densi ty of basiconic and trichoid sensilla on the pedicels of different spe cies, and a crude estimation of habitat range assessed as number of ha bitat types reported for each species. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.