The Triatoma protracta reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Triatoma protracta

Triatoma protracta (commonly called called Western Conenose, vinchuca, Mexican bedbugs or Kissing Bug) is an assassin bug of the order Hemiptera and the family Reduviidae. A 2 cm, brown-black nocturnal insect found in forests. Common in the southwestern USA.

The insect feeds on mammalian blood - piercing the lips, eyelids or ears of a sleeping victim. The problem is that the feeding process can cause anaphylactic shock or even Chagas disease as the insect is the vector for the trypanosome responsible.

Other species include Triatoma sanguisuga, Triatoma lecticularia, Triatoma indictiva, Triatoma rubrofasciata and a lot more.

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