Harpactorini

Gil-Santana, Hélcio R. & Forero, Dimitri, 2009, A new species of Notocyrtus, a new synonym of Coilopus, and new records and notes on other Harpactorini (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) from South America, Zootaxa 2148, pp. 55-67 : 56-61

Tribe Harpactorini

Coilopus Elkins, 1969: 456 [n. gen., description]; Putshkov & Putshkov, 1985: 39 [catalog]; Maldonado, 1990: 178 [catalog].

Notocyrtoides Carvalho, Costa & Gil-Santana, 2001: 1 [n. gen., description], NEW SYNONYM

Coilopus vellus Elkins, 1969: 460 [n.sp., description], Putshkov & Putshkov, 1988: 42 [catalog]; Maldonado, 1990: 178 [catalog].

Notocyrtoides tuberculatus Carvalho, Costa & Gil-Santana, 2001: 1 [n. sp., description], NEW SYNONYM

Discussion. Elkins (1969) described a new Harpactorinae wasp-mimic genus, Coilopus , close to Notocyrtus Burmeister, 1835 , to include two new species: C. vellus and C. crabrus , which were very similar to each other. He described the new genus based on specimens from Brazil (Amazonas, Goiás, and Mato Grosso) and Costa Rica. Carvalho et al. (2001) described the new genus and species Notocyrtoides tuberculatus (Fig. 1) based on specimens from Brazil (Pará, Goiás, Rondônia, and Mato Grosso), mentioning the similarity of their new genus to Notocyrtus .

After Carvalho et al. (2001) publication, the evident similarity between Coilopus and Notocyrtoides was first noticed by the French entomologist Dr. Jean-Michel Bérenger who kindly communicated this fact to the senior author, and its formal synonymy is presented here.

The synonymy of the two genera is evident if the structure of the legs (Fig. 1) and pronotum (Fig. 2) are compared (see also Elkins 1969: his fig. 1, Carvalho et al. 2001: their fig. 1). The pronotum is enlarged, anteriorly rounded, with a pair of large, blunt, lateral projections; and a pair of smaller projections basal to the nearly quadrangular third lobe (Fig. 1). The legs are relatively long and thin, compared for instance to what is found in Notocyrtus .

The structure of the phallus in dorsal view was not clear in the figures presented by previous authors ( Elkins 1969; Carvalho et al. 2001), therefore new ones are provided here (Figs. 4–5).

Of the two species described by Elkins as Coilopus , N. tuberculatus can be assigned to C. vellus based on the structure of the front tibial spur (Fig. 3), which is elevated (spur is lacking in C. crabrus ), and by the longitudinal sulcus of the pronotum reaching the hind pronotal lobe (Fig. 2) (not reaching the hind lobe in C. crabrus ). The identity of C. crabrus , nonetheless, is puzzling. This species was described based on a single female from Manaus (Amazonas), and has not been mentioned in the literature, or found in the collections examined by us. Elkins (1969: 460) stated that the only differences between the two species of Coilopus were the presence of a prominent tibial spur and the shape of the pronotum. The lack of a prominent tibial spur would be surprising, because all species of Harpactorini possess it ( Davis 1969, Forero et al. 2004, Weirauch 2008a). One possibility is that the description of C. crabrus was based on a malformed specimen, as has been documented for other “unique” Reduviidae species (e.g., Paramanicocoris, Gil-Santana et al. 2002). This has to be corroborated with the study of the holotype of C. crabrus .

Elkins (1969) stated that the holotypes of C. vellus and C. crabrus were both deposited in his personal collection. He also stated that some female paratypes were deposited at the American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA [AMNH]. No specimens of C. vellus labeled as paratypes were located at the AMNH collection. The fate of Elkins’ personal collection is unknown, and this is worrisome because beside the holotypes of the species of Coilopus he deposited many other holotype specimens of Reduviidae there. Elkins used to live in Dallas (Texas, USA), and apparently, specimens from his personal collection were neither deposited in the Museum of Dallas nor in the Texas A&M entomological collection [TAMU] (J.C. Schaffner, pers. com.).

PLATE 1. Fig. 1. Notocyrtoides tuberculatus , male paratype, dorsal view; Figs. 2–3, Coilopus vellus , 2, head and pronotum, dorsal view, 3, apex of fore tibia, lateral view, the arrow points the tibial spur.

PLATE 2. Figs. 4–5. Notocyrtoides tuberculatus , male genitalia of paratype, dorsal view, 4, phallus, 5, distal process of endosoma.

PLATE 3. Fig. 6. Harpactor rhombeus , male, dorsal view.

Efforts of the junior author to locate the holotypes of C. vellus and C. crabrus have been unsuccessful so far. Only recently, through the kindness of Joseph C. Schaffner (TAMU) the whereabouts of some of the specimens from the Elkins personal collection have been revealed. Among specimens sent back to TAMU by E. R. Hart, were also specimens belonging to Elkins. It is probable that some of Elkins type specimens might be in that lot. A detailed study of this collection is in process by Schaffner, and the lot of specimens is going to be permanently deposited at TAMU (J.C. Schaffner, pers. com.).

Distribution. The genus Coilopus is distributed from Costa Rica to Brazil.

Material examined. Notocyrtoides tuberculatus : HOLOTYPE Ƥ, BRAZIL, Rondônia, Ouro Preto do Oeste, Est. Rio Sta. Helena, 30-III-1985, M. F. Torres [ MPEG]; PARATYPES: 13, Goiás, Mineiros, XI-1994, P. R. Magno leg. [ MNRJ]; 1Ƥ, Pará, Serra Norte, Pedreira, 24-VI-1985, R. D. Thomaz [ MPEG]; 2Ƥ, Rondônia, Ouro Preto do Oeste, Residência do INPA, 25-28-III-1985, Malaise Trap, F. F. Ramos leg. [ MNRJ]; 1Ƥ, Rondônia, Ouro Preto do Oeste, left margin of the Sta. Helena River, 22-III-1985 [ MPEG].

Coilopus vellus : BRAZIL, 13, 0 6 / Mus. Zool. Helsinki N:o / “genus? species? Froeschner det. 1969” / Drake coll. ex J. Maldonado C. coll., 1996 [ USNM]; 13, 2Ƥ, Rondônia, 62 Km SW Ariquemes, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 6-X-1993, C. W. & L. B. O ´Brien [ USNM]; 1Ƥ, Distrito Federal, 32 Km N Brasilia at Embrapa, 15°35´S 47°42´W, 1000m, 18-XI-1997, T. J. Henry coll. / C. J. Drake Fund accession 1997 [ USNM]; 1Ƥ, 32 Km N Brasilia nr. Planaltina, 15°35´S 47°42´W, 1000m, 21-XI-1997, T. J. Henry coll. / C. J. Drake Fund accession 1997 [ USNM]; 13, Mato Grosso, Cáceres, Polonoroeste, 12-XI-1985, C. Elias leg. [ DZUP]. COSTA RICA, 1Ƥ, Provincia Puntarenas, Estacion Agujas, Sendero Zamias, 300m, 16-20-II- 1998, M. Lobo, 8.534815°N 83.426667°W, #50668 / CRI 002 605201 [ INBIO]; 1 adult without abdomen, Provincia Alajuela, Playuelas, RNVS Caño Negro, 20 m, 1-18-II-1994, K. Martinez, 10.955344°N 8474958°W, #2686 / CRI 001 745809 [ INBIO]. FRENCH GUIANA, 1 adult without antennae and abdomen, Cayenne, Collection WmSchaus / “ Coilopus vellus ” Elkins, Maldonado 85 [det.] [ USNM].

PLATE 4. Figs. 7–13. Notocyrtus costai , female holotype, 7, dorsal view, 8, lateral view, 9–10, head, 9, lateral view, 10, dorsal view, 11–13, legs, lateral view, 11, fore leg, 12, mid leg, 13, hind leg.

PLATE 5. Figs. 14–16. Notocyrtus foveatus , 14, male, dorsal view, 15–16, head, 15, lateral view, 16, dorsal view.

PLATE 6. Fig. 17. Notocyrtus dispersus , female paratype, dorsal view; Figs. 18–25. Notocyrtus ricciae , 18–19, male, dorsal view, 18, specimen from state of Amapá, Brazil, 19, specimen from state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, 20–21, head, 20, lateral view, 21, dorsal view, 22–25, male genitalia, 22, paramere, 23–24, phallus, 23, lateral view, 24, dorsal view, 25, distal process of endosoma.