The Experimental Infection of Pupae of Philosamia cynthia Drury (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) with Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas

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Abstract
T. cruzi flagellates in cultures and mouse blood were inoculated into the body cavities of pupae of the moth P. cynthia. Three out of 5 pupae became infected with flagellated forms in the body fluid and, in one case, with leishmania forms in the fixed tissues. In the latter case the pupal midgut also became heavily infected with flagellates. Two other pupae inoculated with infected mouse blood remained negative for parasites. This appears to be the first report of a tissue-invading leishmaniform stage of T. cruzi in an invertebrate host.