Rodrigo Gurgel-Gonçalves
Laboratório de Parasitologia Médica e Biologia de Vetores, Área de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília DF.
Dear editor:
A recent communication published by Almeida et al1 in RSBMT reported the occurrence of Psammolestes coreodes Bergroth, 1911, for the first time in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. However, the authors overlooked the pioneering articles of Lent2, Travassos3, Travassos & Freitas4 and Barretto5 who had previously recorded the occurrence of this triatomine species in bird nests (Phacellodomus rufifrons sincipitalis) in Miranda, a municipality of Mato Grosso do Sul. Thus the phrase “This paper describes the occurrence of Psammolestes coreodes Bergroth, 1911, for the first time in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul” published by Almeida et al1 was clearly a mistake.
Psammolestes coreodes is the southernmost representative of the Psammolestes6. It has been recorded in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay7. As for the other two species of the genus Psammolestes, P. coreodes specimens are observed mainly in thornbird nests8. In a recent study, our group analyzed the distribution of Psammolestes species in South America9. The predicted distribution of P. coreodes covered Argentina, southeastern Bolivia, southwestern Brazil and Paraguay, in eight ecoregions (Chaco savannahs, Humid Chaco, Pantanal, Argentine Espinal, Humid Pampas, Cordoba montane savannahs, Arid Chaco, and Mesopotamian savannahs). The taxonomic status of Psammolestes populations of south Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, in the Brazilian Pantanal, should be analyzed because this region includes the geographical boundaries of P. coreodes and P. tertius. Thus, these species could be sympatric in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul.
Although the communication of Almeida et al1 was not the first describing the occurrence of P. coreodes in Mato Grosso do Sul, it shows a relevant record of an adult specimen in a chicken house. This lead us to deduce a synanthropic trend of P. coreodes in Brazil, as occasionally reported in Paraguay and Argentina.8. Thus, I suggest that the phrase mentioned in the article of Almeida et al1 should be substituted with: “This paper describes the occurrence of Psammolestes coreodes Bergroth, 1911, for the first time in peridomestic habitat (chicken house) in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul”.
REFERENCES
1. Almeida PS, Gonçalves GMA, Minzão LD, Larson RVG, Cristaldo LCM, C Júnior W, Obara, MT, Barata JMS. Ocorrência de Psammolestes coreodes Bergroth, 1911 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) no Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2009; 42: 603-604. [ Links ]
2. Lent H. Observações sobre a fauna de alguns ninhos de aves. Bol Biológico 1939; 4: 258-260. [ Links ]
3. Travassos L. Relatório da quinta excursão do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, realizada à zona da Estrada de Ferro Noroeste do Brasil, em janeiro de 1941. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 1941; 36: 263-300. [ Links ]
4. Travassos L, Freitas JFT. Relatório da sétima excursão científica do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, realizada à zona da Estrada de Ferro Noroeste do Brasil, em maio de 1942. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 1943; 38: 385-412. [ Links ]
5. Barretto MP. Estudos sobre reservatórios do Trypanosoma cruzi. XLV – Inquérito preliminar sobre triatomíneos silvestres no Sul do Estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil (Hemiptera, Reduviidae). Rev Bras Biol 1971; 31: 225-233. [ Links ]
6. Lent H, Wygodzinsky P. Revision of the triatominae (Hemiptera, Reduviidae), and their significance as vectors of Chagas Disease. Bull Am Mus of Natural History 1979; 163: 520-529. [ Links ]
7. Carcavallo RU, Curto de Casas SI, Sherlock I, Galíndez Girón I, Jurberg J, Galvão C, Mena Segura CA, Noireau F. Geographical distribution and alti-latitudinal dispersion. In: Carcavallo RU, Galíndez Girón I, Jurberg J, Lent H (eds) Atlas of Chagas Disease Vectors in Américas. Rio de Janeiro, Editora FIOCRUZ, vol III, 1999; p. 747-792. [ Links ]
8. Carcavallo RU, Rodríguez MEF, Salvatella R, Curto de Casas SI, Sherlock I, Galvão C, Rocha DS, Galíndez Girón I, Arocha MAO, Martinez A, Da Rosa JA, Canale DM, Farr TH, Barata JMS. Habitats and related fauna. In: Carcavallo RU, Galíndez Girón I, Jurberg J, Lent H (eds) Atlas of Chagas Disease Vectors in Américas. Rio de Janeiro, Editora FIOCRUZ, vol II, 1998; p. 561-600. [ Links ]
9. Gurgel-Gonçalves R, Silva RB. Analysis of the geographical distribution of PsammolestesBergroth (Heteroptera: Reduviidae) in South America with new records of Psammolestes tertiusLent & Jurberg. Zootaxa 2009; 2033: 41-48. [ Links ]
Address to:
Dr. Rodrigo Gurgel-Gonçalves.
Laboratório de Parasitologia Médica e Biologia de Vetores/FM/UnB
Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte.
70910-900 Brasilia, DF, Brasil.
e-mail: rgurgel@unb.br
Received in 21/12/2009
Accepted in 13/01/2010
