Cladistics of South American Triatoma (Hemiptera: Reduviidae): a morphological overview of the Triatoma infestans complex

Triatoma infestans complex comprises 38 species of South American triatomines, organized into different subcomplexes. These species act as vectors of the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. However, the evolutionary relationships among the subcomplexes remain unresolved. In this study, we present the most comprehensive morphological cladistic analysis of these species to date. Phylogenetic relationships were examined in a new analysis based on morphological data. We analyzed a data matrix comprising 48 terminal taxa and 72 morphological characters, coded under implicit parsimony weights, with a range of concavities (k1-80). Our results indicate that the Triatoma infestans and Triatoma rubrovaria subcomplexes constitute monophyletic groups, while Triatoma brasiliensis, Triatoma matogrossensis and Triatoma sordida subcomplexes are merophyletic. We also confirm that Triatoma maculata does not belong to the homonymous subcomplex. The evolutionary relationship of species within the subcomplexes is discussed.