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Background    Rhodnius prolixus  is the main vector of Chagas disease in Venezuela. Here, domestic infestations of poor quality rural housing have persisted despite four decades of vector control. This is in contrast to the Southern Cone region of South America, where the main vector,  Triatoma infestans , has been eliminated over large areas. The repeated colonisation of houses by silvatic populations of  R. prolixus  potentially explains the control difficulties. However, controversy surrounds the existence of silvatic  R. prolixus : it has been suggested that all silvatic populations are in fact  Rhodnius robustus , a related species of minor epidemiological importance. Here we investigate, by direct sequencing (mt cytb , D2) and by microsatellite analysis, 1) the identity of silvatic  Rhodnius  and 2) whether silvatic populations of  Rhodnius  are isolated from domestic populations.    Methods and Findings  Direct sequencing confirmed the presence of  R. prolixus  in palms and that silvatic bugs can colonise houses, with house and palm specimens sharing seven  cytb  haplotypes. Additionally, mitochondrial introgression was detected between  R. robustus  and  R. prolixus , indicating a previous hybridisation event. The use of ten polymorphic microsatellite loci revealed a lack of genetic structure between silvatic and domestic ecotopes (non-significant F ST  values), which is indicative of unrestricted gene flow.    Conclusions  Our analyses demonstrate that silvatic  R. prolixus  presents an unquestionable threat to the control of Chagas disease in Venezuela. The design of improved control strategies is essential for successful long term control and could include modified spraying and surveillance practices, together with housing improvements.

Molecular Genetics Reveal That Silvatic Rhodnius prolixus Do Colonise Rural Houses