Can body traits, other than wings, reflect the flight ability of Triatominae bugs?

Abstract: INTRODUCTION : Insects of the subfamily Triatominae are vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi , the Chagas disease parasite, and their flying behavior has epidemiological importance. The flying capacity is strikingly different across and within Triatominae species, as well as between sexes or individuals. Many Triatoma infestans individuals have wings but no flying muscles. In other Triatominae species, no clear relationships were found between wing length and flying behavior. If wing presence or size is not reflective of the flying behavior, which other parts of the body could be considered as reliable markers of this important function? METHODS : The genus Mepraia has exceptional characteristics with invariably wingless females and wingless or winged males. We calculated the porous surface exposed to odorant molecules to estimate the olfactory capacity of Mepraia spinolai . The head shape and thorax size were estimated using the geometric morphometric approach and traditional morphometric techniques, respectively. RESULTS : Alary polymorphism in M. spinolai was significantly associated with consistent modification of the thorax size, head shape, and notable change in the estimated olfactory capacity. The macropterous individuals had a larger olfactory surface and thorax size and significantly different head shape compared to those of the micropterous individuals. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that these structural changes could be associated with the flying potential of Triatominae. Thus, morphological attributes not found on wings could help determine the likely flying potential of the bugs.

摘要

## 引言
锥蝽亚科（Triatominae）昆虫是克氏锥虫（Trypanosoma cruzi，恰加斯病病原体）的传播媒介，其飞行行为具有重要的流行病学意义。锥蝽亚科物种间、种内不同个体间，乃至不同性别间的飞行能力差异极为显著。不少骚扰锥蝽（Triatoma infestans）个体虽具备翅结构，却无飞行肌肉。在其他锥蝽亚科物种中，翅长与飞行行为之间亦未发现明确关联。既然翅的有无或大小无法反映飞行行为，那么机体哪些其他结构可作为该重要生理功能的可靠标志物？

## 方法
梅普阿锥蝽属（Mepraia）具有特殊的类群特征：雌性个体始终无翅，雄性个体则存在无翅或具翅两种表型。本研究通过计算与气味分子接触的多孔表面积，以估算spinolai梅普阿锥蝽（Mepraia spinolai）的嗅觉能力。分别采用几何形态测量法与传统形态测量技术，对头形及胸宽进行量化分析。

## 结果
spinolai梅普阿锥蝽的翅多态性，与胸宽的一致性改变、头形的显著变化以及估算得到的嗅觉能力变化均存在显著关联。与短翅型个体相比，大翅型个体的嗅觉表面积与胸宽更大，且头形存在显著差异。

## 结论
本研究认为，上述结构变化可能与锥蝽亚科昆虫的飞行潜能相关。由此可见，无需仅依赖翅部形态特征，即可辅助评估锥蝽的潜在飞行能力。