Where you live shapes who you are: morphological changes in urban Triatoma infestans

Abstract

Urban <i>T. infestans</i> exhibit size reductions, aligning with Schofield's simplification hypothesis and possibly influenced by the Urban Heat Island effect. Shape changes, more pronounced in wings and pronota, suggest other influences beyond the rural-urban gradient, potentially including developmental plasticity, flight demands, and genetic drift. These findings underscore the need for urban-specific Chagas disease control strategies and further research on the evolutionary dynamics of <i>T. infestans</i> in urban environments.