Opportunistic or selective? Stage-dependent feeding behavior in a wild vector of Chagas disease

•Host selection studies should consider vector developmental stage and host availability.•All triatomine vector developmental stages can be infected by Trypanosoma cruzi.•Blood feeding sources of vectors differ due to relative availability of vertebrates in the study site.•The wild triatomine Mepraia spinolai is a stage-dependent selective blood feeder.•Early nymph stages feed on rodents and reptiles, and late stages mostly on rabbits.