The subfamily Triatominae is composed of 158 extant species and three fossils, and is of significant public health importance due to the ability of some species to transmit the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease and has a significant impact on Latin American countries. Although Chagas disease can be transmitted through different mechanisms such as vectorial, transfusion, congenital, organ transplant, accidental laboratory, and oral transmission, vectorial transmission is the primary mechanism and occurs when individuals come into contact with feces of infected triatomine bugs. Effective vector control strategies must involve the proper identification of vector insect species, study of their distribution dynamics, clear delineation of species boundaries, and provision of information on their adaptation to different parasite and host variants, evolutionary history, diversification patterns, genetic differences within and between species, genetic flow, and their possible contributions to the speciation and adaptation of these insects to different environmental conditions. Among the main vectors implicated in Chagas disease are species of the Rhodniini tribe. Current control measures and strategies are mostly focused on several species in this group; however, their evolutionary and taxonomic relationships remain unclear, which may impact their roles as vectors. This thesis aims to describe the epidemiological characteristics of some Rhodniini tribe species (infection rates, feeding preferences, and discrete typing units), determine their phylogenetic and evolutionary patterns across a broad geographic distribution in Latin America (Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Panama, and Ecuador), and utilize various molecular tools and designs to accomplish this.Our results confirm the role of domiciled species within the tribe where they have been identified, and suggest that other species considered secondary or non-vectors may also play a role in transmission. Given the taxonomic complexity of the tribe, this highlights the potential risk of control programs targeting high-risk species. Therefore, our study provides phylogenetic evidence supporting the classification of the tribe into two genera, the status of some species in the prolixus group, and the interspecific relationships of the pallescens group. These findings are essential in the development of vector control strategies aimed at these species.
