TriatoDex, an electronic identification key to the Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), vectors of Chagas disease: Development, description, and performance.

Correct identification of triatomine bugs is crucial for Chagas disease surveillance, yet available taxonomic keys are outdated, incomplete, or both. Here we present TriatoDex, an Android app-based pictorial, annotated, polytomous key to the Triatominae. TriatoDex was developed using Android Studio and tested by 27 Brazilian users. Each user received a box with pinned, number-labeled, adult triatomines (33 species in total) and was asked to identify each bug to the species level. We used generalized linear mixed models (with user- and species-ID random effects) and information-theoretic model evaluation/averaging to investigate TriatoDex performance. TriatoDex encompasses 79 questions and 554 images of the 150 triatomine-bug species described worldwide up to 2017. TriatoDex-based identification was correct in 78.9% of 824 tasks. TriatoDex performed better in the hands of trained taxonomists (93.3% vs. 72.7% correct identifications; model-averaged, adjusted odds ratio 5.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.09-11.48). In contrast, user age, gender, primary job (including academic research/teaching or disease surveillance), workplace (including universities, a reference laboratory for triatomine-bug taxonomy, or disease-surveillance units), and basic training (from high school to biology) all had negligible effects on TriatoDex performance. Our analyses also suggest that, as TriatoDex results accrue to cover more taxa, they may help pinpoint triatomine-bug species that are consistently harder (than average) to identify. In a pilot comparison with a standard, printed key (370 tasks by seven users), TriatoDex performed similarly (84.5% correct assignments, CI 68.9-94.0%), but identification was 32.8% (CI 24.7-40.1%) faster on average-for a mean absolute saving of ~2.3 minutes per bug-identification task. TriatoDex holds much promise as a handy, flexible, and reliable tool for triatomine-bug identification; an updated iOS/Android version is under development. We expect that, with continuous refinement derived from evolving knowledge and user feedback, TriatoDex will substantially help strengthen both entomological surveillance and research on Chagas disease vectors.

LutzoDex™-A digital key for Brazilian sand flies (Diptera, Phlebotominae) within an Android App.

Here we present an Android mobile application (app) for the identification of Brazilian phlebotomine sand fly species. The app, which is named LutzoDex™, relies on information included in a data source with morphological and morphometrical characters. This tool can present up to seven answer options to a question. Images of morphological structures can be referenced to make identification easier, and users can see a list of possible species based on the features they report. Maps are also used to determine the geographical distribution and whether the species is incriminated or suspected as a vector of Leishmania spp. in Brazil. The app is available free of charge in both English and Portuguese in the Google Play Store at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=max.com.lutzodexhl=pt_BR.