Food webs can provide details on feeding relationships between species in a community and the potential direct and indirect interactions that can influence parasite transmission between hosts and vectors. In central Panama, the hematophagus triatomine vector Rhodnius pallescens, transmits the parasitic agent of Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi, across a variety of vertebrate hosts within the Attalea butyracea palm crown. The palm crown ecosystem maintains a diverse vertebrate and invertebrate community throughout Panama. Previous research has demonstrated an increase in vector abundance in anthropogenically disturbed landscapes, but the ecological mechanisms driving these patterns are not known. This research aims to characterize and identify the interactions between abiotic (micro -climate and -habitat) and biotic (food web) factors as drivers of R. pallescens abundance. Palm crowns were ascended, and communities were sampled using direct search and manual dissection. All species were identified to Family or the lowest taxonomic resolution possible. Rhodnius pallescens were collected using Noireau traps. Microclimate measurements (temperature and humidity) and crown characteristics were also collected for a subset of palms.
Results/Conclusions
A total of 117 palms were sampled throughout central Panama from 2013-2017 across a pasture, peridomestic, and forest fragments. A total of 1084 R. pallescens were captured and 76% of palms were infested. Infestation prevalence was associated with palm crowns maintaining a medium level of dead organic material (from a scale of 1-4) which were characteristic of palms located within peridomestic-regenerative forest sites. Intra- crown humidity and temperature measurements were not found to be significant on vector abundance. However, palms within peridomestic-forest sites with a lowered abundance of R. pallescens maintained a higher diversity of potential vector predators (i.e. spiders). This suggests that palm crown conditions with an intermediate level of disturbance may be favorable to R. pallescens but in some cases influenced but the resident community which may be driven by palm crown conditions yet to be analyzed. This research aims to broaden the understanding of T. cruzi infection patterns by ways of vector transmission and prevention of Chagas disease to humans throughout central Panama. Furthermore, to determine whether natural biocontrol of the kissing bug vector is possible.