[Note on the types and specimens of triatomine deposited in the Entomological Collection of Instituto Butantan, São Paulo (Hemiptera:Reduviidae)]

A list of 8 type specimens belonging to the Subfamily Triatominaeis deposited in the Entomological Collection of the Instituto Butantan. This note reports a chronological description of the Collection including 343 specimens represented by 5 species of Panstrongylus, 18 species of Triatoma, 2 species of Psamolestes and Rhodnius.

[Observations on oviposition, hatching and the life span of Triatoma matogrossensis Leite & Barbosa, 1953 (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) as a function of their feeding on pigeons and rabbits]

A laboratory study was carried out concerning the influence of two kinds of blood-meal on egg laying, egg hatching and life span of Triatoma matogrossensis. 68 couples in 4 different groups with 20, 12, 20 and 16 individuals of each sex per group were formed. Maintained under laboratory conditions groups A1 and A2 were fed on pigeons and groups C1 and C2 were fed on rabbits. In relation to egg laying the best results were found in group A1. No differences on egg hatching were found between the groups fed on rabbits and those fed on pigeons. Concerning the life span, no differences between males and females in the 4 groups were observed but group A1 presented the longest life span and group C2 the shortest.

[The finding of Panstrongylus megistus in an artificial ecotope: taking up residence or merely visiting?]

As a first measure of Chagas' disease control in Brazil with chemical elimination of the most important vector of the disease, Triatoma infestans was removed. Attention is now being paid to Triatoma sordida and Panstrongylus megistus. That species can eventually be found inside houses, as happened with the specimens we examined from Bernardino de Campos and Sete Barras, all of them infected by Trypanosoma cruzi. These data suggest that a better knowledge about the behavior that species is needed to introduce changes in the control measures.