Triatominae

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/triatominae

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Triatominae
2. What is the key feature?Specialized proboscis for piercing and sucking blood; nocturnal feeding behavior
3. What are Triatominae, or kissing bugs?Triatominae are a group of over 130 bugs that live mostly in the Americas. They are also called kissing bugs because they bite people and animals at night.
4. Why do kissing bugs bite at night?They bite at night to avoid daytime predators and to feed on sleeping hosts. Their bites happen when the host is resting.

Obligate Hematophagy: A dietary requirement where an organism must feed on blood to survive and reproduce.
Vectorial Capacity: The ability of an arthropod vector to transmit a pathogen, influenced by biological and ecological factors.
Trypanosoma cruzi: A protozoan parasite responsible for Chagas disease, transmitted by Triatominae bugs.
Anaphylaxis: A severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can be triggered by proteins in insect saliva.