New paper alert! We report the First live triatomine bug found in Europe.
A live triatomine bug was discovered engorged with blood in a luxury hotel room in Lisbon, Portugal.
In our upcoming paper in Parasites and Vectors, we report the first case of a live triatomine bug in Europe. In August 2025, the occupants of a 10th floor luxury hotel room in Lisbon, Portugal discovered a triatomine bug perched on the headboard of their bed. Upon capture, bright red blood emerged from the bug; the occupants suspected that it had bitten them during the night.
The bug was identified morphologically as triatomine species Hospesneotomae protracta, which was confirmed molecularly. Hospesneotomae protracta is native to the southwestern USA and northern Mexico, where it is a competent Trypanosoma cruzi vector. Trypanosoma cruzi was not detected in this specimen.
Although this case likely represents an accidental importation, it illustrates the ease with which disease vectors can be unknowingly transported globally. Ergo it is crucial to document and share these findings to prevent introductions of non-native arthropods of medical importance.
About the Ideas Lab
We see the world as a network of hidden connections, where even the smallest creatures can reveal big insights about health and disease. Guided by curiosity and wonder, we study the relationships between insects, microbes, animals, humans, and the environment to uncover how diseases move through ecosystems and how we can better understand—and prevent—them.
