Natural ecotope and feeding habits of Triatoma arthurneivai (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Espinhaço Mountain Range, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Triatoma arthurneivai Lent & Martins 1940 is a rupicolous triatomine species only found in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Little is known about its ecology, and the more recent records are restricted to adults captured in domiciles or light traps, with little or no information on its feeding habits or natural ecotopes. We report the very first finding of T. arthurneivai in nature and describe its feeding habits. After several unsuccessful attempts by our team to find the species in nature, we coincidentally received pictures of T. arthurneivai from two hiking biologists. Then, two field campaigns through an active search of triatomines were carried out in the surroundings of the city of Diamantina, close to the sight site, to find these insects. A total of 23 nymphs were captured among rocks of a rocky outcrop in a campo rupestre phytofisionomic landscape. The feeding behaviour was directly observed during the search when nymphs were seen blood-sucking on a treefrog of the species Bokermannohyla alvarengai (Bokermann, 1956) (Anura: Hylidae). Two other nymphs were subjected to molecular detection of blood sources in their intestinal content through DNA sequencing, which revealed the presence of Tropidurus montanus Rodrigues 1987 (Squamata: Tropiduridae) DNA. The feeding habits of T. arthurneivai in nature and under laboratory conditions reveal its eclecticism. Human disturbances in campos rupestres, including urbanisation, might favour the contact between these species and humans and/or synanthropic/domestic animals.