Triatominae

The members of Triatominae are a subfamily of Reduviidae. They are also called kissing bugs,^[1] conenose bugs, assassin bugs or triatomines. There are more than 130 species in this subfamily. Most of them feed on vertebrate blood. A few species feed on other invertebrates. They are mainly found in the Americas. There are a few species in Asia, Australia and Africa.

Some of the bugs carry the Chagas disease parasite Trypanosoma cruzi.^[2] However, only those species (such as Triatoma infestans and Rhodnius prolixus) well adapted to living with humans are considered important vectors.