The status of Linshcosteus in the Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae).

Of the 17 genera in Triatominae, only one, Linshcosteus, occurs exclusively outside the New World (India). Its relationship to the rest of the subfamily has been questioned, a question made urgent by the fact that many triatomines are vectors of the protozoan which causes Chagas' disease. Using a simple measure of similarity, we show that Linshcosteus is less similar to the other triatomine genera than each of them is to the others.