Leptopus marmoratus Goeze, 1778

Khazaei, Zohreh, Polhemus, Dan A. & Tahami, Mohadeseh S., 2020, A new species of Leptopus (Heteroptera: Leptopodidae) from caves in Iran, with notes on other cavernicolous Iranian Heteroptera, Zootaxa 4763 (2), pp. 246-258 : 253-254

Leptopus marmoratus Goeze, 1778

( Fig. 10 )

Cimex marmoratus Goeze 1778: 264 .

Cimex boopis Geoffroy 1795: 197 . Syn. by Puton 1886: 42.

Leptopus littoralis Latreille 1809: 383 . Syn. with C. boopis by Fieber 1861: 148.

Leptopus preyssleri Herrich-Schaeffer 1850: 133 . Syn. with C. boopis by Fieber 1861: 148.

Leptopus boopis: Fieber 1861: 148 .

Leptopus marmoratus: Reuter 1888: 695 .

Leptopus bertkaui Verhoeff 1891: 197 . Syn. by Horváth 1897: 93.

Material examined. SPAIN: 2 females, Guadarrama, P. Navacerrad [Puerto de Navacerrada], 5 September 1934, P. Koch ( USNM ex Drake). FRANCE, Occitanie, Pyrénées Orientales: 1 female, Banyuls [Banyuls-sur-Mer] ( USNM ex Drake). Maine-et-Loire: 2 males, Occid’ le Becon [Bécon-les-Granits], Maine et Loire, J. Peneau ( USNM). ITALY, South Tyrol Prov.: 2 males, Brixen, vicinity of Waldheim [hotel], 28 February 1967 ( USNM ex JTPC). CROATIA: 1 female, Dalmatia, Grljevac, 25 July 1954, leg. Eckerlein ( USNM ex JTPC). USA, Maryland: 1 female, Balitmore, intercepted on cork from Spain, 13 August 1984, J. F. Cavey ( USNM).

Discussion. This species has prominent pale spots behind the eyes, which are small or absent in L. hispanus , L. scitulus and L. gakalae , and does not have a wide, uninterrupted transverse dark fascia across the posterior corium of the hemelytra as seen in those species ( Fig. 10 ). The dorsal coloration of L. marmoratus is variable, with most specimens being predominantly pale with scattered black flecks and patches, but with others predominantly black with only limited pale markings. In none of the specimens seen, however, does the coloration resemble that of the three previously mentioned species, in which the basal hemelytra are always pale, with a strong black or brown fascia behind the apex of the clavus.

Iranian records for this species from Kamyaran, Kurdistan Province by Sakenin et al. (2010) and Samin et al. (2011), were considered suspect by Kment & Wilson (2016), because Rauno Linnavuori, listed as a co-author on both papers and an expert on Leptopodidae , denied involvement and did not endorse the content.

The record from Maryland noted above, taken on an agricultural intercept, appears to be the first from the United States, but the species does not seem to be established there.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Leptopus marmoratus Goeze, 1778, dorsal habitus photograph, appendages omitted. Specimen from agricultural quarantine intercept at Baltimore, Maryland, USA.