Tagalis seminigra Champion, 1899

Gil-Santana, Hélcio R., Pinto, Fernando B. & Zeraik, Soraya O., 2010, Tagalis evavilmae sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Saicinae), an inhabitant of birds’ nests in Amazonas, Brazil with taxonomical notes and a key to the species of Tag ali s Stål, Zootaxa 2721, pp. 1-14 : 10-12

Tagalis seminigra Champion, 1899

Tagalis seminigra was described based on a male and three females from Panama (Champion 1899), deposited in The Natural History Museum (BMNH), London, United Kingdom. The original description is very informative on the general morphology of the species, including its coloration. However, it was only McAtee & Malloch (1923) and Villiers (1943) that provided some information about external aspect of pygophore of the male of this species. They stated that the medial process of pygophore of T. seminigra is long and acute. Dr. Michael D. Webb, curator of the Hemiptera Entomological collection of BMNH, kindly reexamined the male syntype of T. seminigra and informed us that the visible paramere matches well with the figures 44–45, although the apex of the pygophore is actually damaged. The main morphological remarks of this species are revised, including the description of the male genitalia.

Morphological remarks. (Figs. 41–49). Total length: to the tip of abdomen: 5.5–5.7; to the tip of forewings: 5.8–6.0 (two males) / 5.9 and 6.2, respectively (one female). General color blackish with shining integument, very sparsely pubescent (Figs. 41, 43); male antennal segment I with long, erect, ciliate hairs; male eyes larger than those of females. Antennal segment I yellowish, with approximately its basal third and apical fifth brownish; segments II-IV brownish. Integument of hind lobe of pronotum smooth; spines of scutellum and metanotum long (Fig. 42). Middle and hind coxae and trochanters yellowish; procoxae, trochanters, and femora brownish; tibiae yellowish, basis and apices darkened; tarsi yellowish. Forewings surpassing tip of abdomen; grayish; veins and their vicinities darkened. Abdomen: orange with first two segments (female) or first three segments and lateral portion of sternites of segments IV–V (male) brownish-black darkened. The specimens examined showed no differences from the description by Champion (1899). McAtee & Malloch (1923), however, in their key for Tagalis spp., pointed out a color variation of the femora of T. seminigra , which could be completely fuscous or have only its apices fuscous.

PLATE 7. Figs. 41–49. T. seminigra Champion , 41–42, female, 41, lateral view, 42, thorax, schematic, lateral view, 43, male, lateral view, 44–49, male genitalia, 44–45, as observed “in situ,” 44, ventral view, 45, lateral view, 46, pygophore and parameres, dorsal view, 47, right paramere, 48, phallus, lateral view, 49, phallosoma spine–like processes, dorsal view.

Male genitalia (Figs. 44–49): pygophore with long and acute medial process; when “in situ” half of parameres evident in lateral view, outside pygophore rim (Figs. 45–46). Parameres symmetrical, a little curved, with large apical teeth with adjoining seta more developed than those observed on apical and internal faces of apical third (Fig. 47). Phallus (Fig. 48): with articulatory apparatus short; endosoma with moderately developed spine-like projections (Figs. 48–49); struts fused, enlarged basally.

Material examined. BRAZIL, Rondônia, Ouro Preto d´Oeste [10º 52´S – 61º 58´W], 2 males, 29-X-1983, 03- XI-1983; 1 female, 03-XI-1983, Johann Becker leg.