Belminus rugulosus Stål, 1859

Gil-Santana, Hélcio R. & Galvão, Cleber, 2013, Description of the male genitalia of Belminus rugulosus Stål and Belminus corredori Galvão & Angulo, and comments on the holotype of Parabelminus yurupucu Lent & Wygodzinsky (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae: Bolboderini), Zootaxa 3746 (4), pp. 587-596 : 590-592

Belminus rugulosus Stål, 1859

Belminus rugulosus was described based on a female from Colombia by Stål (1859). Conorhinus diminutus Walker 1873 , which was described based on a female from Venezuela (Walker 1873), was shown to be a junior synonym of B. rugulosus by Neiva (1913).

Lent & Wygodzinsky (1979) furnished a description of the female of B. rugulosus based on examination of the types of B. rugulosus and C. diminutus .

In describing the “allotype male” of B. rugulosus, Martinez & Carcavallo (1976) did not furnish figures of the specimen itself, or a description of the male genitalia, but merely presented the latter through five drawings that were somewhat similar to illustrations of male genitalia of the B. peruvianus furnished by Herrer et al. (1954). However, from examination of this specimen, which was originally in Carcavallo’s collection and is now deposited in the CTIOC (Figs. 14–19), it become evident that the male genitalia were still in situ and had not been dissected previously.

PLATE 4. Figs. 14–19, Belminus rugulosus , male, “allotypus”, 14, general view of the specimen, 15, labels, 16, head and pronotum, dorsal view, 17, thorax and abdomen, dorsal view, 18, apex of abdomen, with pygophore and parameres in situ, specimen still glued in its card, posterior view, 19, thorax and abdomen, after detachment from the card, with pygophore and parameres in situ, ventral view.

Remarks on the conditions of the specimen examined: the specimen now deposited in CTIOC was found to have been glued to a small rectangular board, with the head and pronotum separated from the remainder of the thorax and abdomen, without antennae and with only the middle left leg and right middle and left hind femora (Figs. 14, 16, 17, 19). It had certainly been pinned previously, judging by the hole seen through the posterior lobe of the pronotum and mesosternum (Figs. 16, 19). The male genitalia were clearly found to be in situ, with no signs of previous dissection (Figs. 18–19). Figure 15 shows the labels attached to this specimen.

DESCRIPTION OF MALE GENITALIA (Figs. 18–32). Eighth sternite sinuous on posterior margin, with a few rows of small punctures (Fig. 21). Pygophore and parameres blackish (Figs. 18–19). Paramere apices close in resting position (Fig. 20). Exposed portion of pygophore semiglobular, with very sclerotized blackish integument, with small and shallow rounded depressions aligned in irregular lines beside ripples, and sparse curved bristles (Figs. 19, 21). Median process of pygophore directed upward, just below paramere apices, with its apex somewhat rounded and adjacent long pilosity (Fig. 22). Parameres symmetrical, strongly curved in median portion, with a small tubercle on apical portion, curved bristles on outer face and straight hairs on inner face of apical portion of segment; lumpy integument in apical middle (Figs. 23–24). Phallus (Figs. 25–32). Articulatory apparatus with relatively short basal arms, a little longer than wide; basal bridge very short (Fig. 27–28). Pedicel long, narrower at basal portion, almost 1.5 times longer than dorsal phallothecal plate; gonopore process thin, somewhat enlarged apically, very long (Figs. 25–27, 29). Dorsal phallothecal plate with lateral portions subangulate, these directed downward in the resting position (Figs. 25–27, 30); apical portion largely rounded (Figs. 27, 30–31). Struts as a pair of elongated arms, subcylindrical, joined at bases; apices somewhat divergent and separated (Figs. 27, 30–31). Endosoma with a small ill-defined thickening on lateral portion, not forming a clear process (Fig. 25). Median distal process located near apex of endosoma, just behind apical portion of phallothecal plate (Fig. 25), through which it can be seen after clarification of the structures (Fig. 31); hemispherical, with a pair of subparallel folds (Fig. 32).

PLATE 5. Figs. 20–27, Belminus rugulosus , male genitalia, 20–21, eighth sternite, pygophore and parameres, 20, dorsal view, 21, ventral view, 22, median process of pygophore, 23–24, right paramere, 23, dorsal view, 24, ventral view, 25–27, phallus, 25, lateral view, 26, ventral view, 27, extended, dorsal view.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: 1 male: VENEZUELA, Aragua, El Limón, “m.?5” [march, 1975 after Martinez & Carcavallo 1976] / R. Schneider coll. [leg.] / “ Belminus rugulosus Stal ”, R. Carcavallo det. 1975 [Red label] / “ALLOTYPUS” [Red label] / Coleção [Collection] Rodolfo Carcavallo [Green label] / FIOCRUZ, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Coleção [Collection] Rodolfo Carcavallo, [CTIOC].