Kissing Bug

The Triatominae, a subfamily of the true bug family Reduviidae, are commonly known as kissing bugs, conenose bugs or vampire bugs, among more than 130 species that mostly feed on the blood of vertebrates. Found mainly in the Americas, with a few species in Asia and Africa, they typically share shelter with nesting vertebrates from which they suck blood. In areas where Chagas disease occurs, every triatomine species is a potential vector of the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, though only species well adapted to living near humans are considered significant vectors, and proteins in their bites can also trigger anaphylaxis in sensitized people.