Triatoma protracta

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Triatoma protracta is a species of bugs in the family Reduviidae. It is known commonly as the western bloodsucking conenose.<ref name=uc>Conenose Bugs. Pests of Homes, Structures, People, and Pets. Publication 7455, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.</ref> It is distributed in the western United States<ref name=cdc>Triatoma protracta. Parasites - American Trypanosomiasis (also known as Chagas Disease). United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).</ref> and Mexico.<ref>Martínez-Ibarra, J. A., et al. (2012). The biology of three Mexican-American species of Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae): Triatoma recurva, Triatoma protracta and Triatoma rubida. Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, 107(5), 659-663.</ref>

This species and other "kissing bugs" are vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan that causes Chagas disease.<ref name=hwang>Hwang, W. S., Zhang, G., Maslov, D., & Weirauch, C. (2010). Infection rates of Triatoma protracta (Uhler) with Trypanosoma cruzi in Southern California and molecular identification of trypanosomes. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 83(5), 1020-1022.</ref>

This species is between 0.5 and 0.75 inches long. It is dark brown to black in color with a lighter margin along the abdomen. The wings lie flat across the back. The "beak" has three segments and curls beneath the head. The nymph is similar in appearance but it is smaller and lacks wings.<ref name=uc/>

This insect and others of its genus live in the nests of animals such as pack rats (genus Neotoma). They become pests when they invade houses. They bite humans, producing irritation to the skin and sometimes severe allergic reactions.<ref name=uc/> The insects are also known to have three subspecies including:

T. protracta woodi
T. protracta protracta
T. protracta navajoensis

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