ABSTRACT
Members of the insect family Reduviidae have an elongate (coneshaped) head, hence the name conenose bugs. A relatively small but important subset of these bugs in the subfamily Triatominae feeds exclusively on vertebrate blood. Notorious members of this group are frequently classified in the genus Triatoma, but not all. Triatomines are called kissing bugs because their blood meals are occasionally taken on the face or around human lips. Very often, their bites are painless; however, bite reactions may range from a single papule, to giant urticarial lesions, to anaphylactoid allergic reactions, depending on the degree of allergic sensitivity. Kissing bugs can transmit the agent of Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, one of the most important arthropod-borne diseases in tropical America. Kissing bugs are nocturnal insects that seek refuge by day in cracks and crevices of poorly constructed houses or in the loose roof thatching of huts. Therefore, proper construction of houses, wise choice of building materials, sealing cracks and crevices, and precision-targeting of insecticides are all important components of a kissing bug prevention and control plan.
