Revisión de la subfamilia Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) en Cuba

the triatominae subfamily (hemiptera: reduviidae) contains the principal and potential chagas′disease vectors present in mexico, central america and south america and represents a serious threat for the public health of many countries of the region. with the aim of encouraging the study of these insects in our country, a bibliographical revision is presented about taxonomy, biology, domestication process, and medical importance of the cuban triatomine. four species of triatomine bugs have been so far reported in cuba: bolbodera scabrosa, triatoma rubrofasciata, nesotriatoma flavida and nesotriatoma bruneri, recent molecular studies have revalidated the genus nesotriatoma usinger 1944, represented in cuba by the species n. flavida and n. bruneri, which are separated by external characters of the body, the morphology of male genitalia and mitochondrial dna. evidence of the establishment of colonies of triatomine bugs does not exist in houses nor reports of autochthonous trypanosoma cruzi, because of that the risk of vectorial transmission is low, although it is of supreme importance in clinical and serological surveillance and on possible vectors.