Taxonomic study of the Phyllosoma complex and other triatomine (Insecta: Hemiptera: Reduviidae) species of epidemiological importance in the transmission of Chagas disease: Using ITS-2 and mtCytB sequences

The purpose of this work was to clarify the taxonomy and phylogenetic relationship of the Phyllosoma complex and other important vectors in Mexico. The internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS-2) of rDNA and the cytochrome B gene of mtDNA (mtCytB) were analyzed for the following species of triatomine: Triatoma bassolsae, T. longipennis, T. mazzottii, T. mexicana, T. pallidipennis, T. picturata, and T. phyllosoma belonging to the Phyllosoma complex, as well as T. dimidiata, T. rubida, T. infestans, and Rhodnius prolixus. The results obtained with the analysis of the ITS-2 sequences showed that the Phyllosoma complex species could not be phylogenetically separated, since T. bassolsae and T. pallidipennis, as well as T. phyllosoma and T. mazzottii were indistinguishable. In contrast, the mtCytB gene separates each one of these triatomine species. The results support the proximity of all seven species currently included in the Phyllosoma complex as well as the exclusion of T. dimidiata. For the first time T. lecticularia and T. rubida were analyzed and were also shown to be related to the Phyllosoma complex.