Saica apicalis Osborn & Drake, 1915

Gil-Santana, Hélcio R., 2008, New records, and nomenclatural and biological notes on Reduviidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) from Bolivia and Brazil, Zootaxa 1785, pp. 43-53 : 50

Saica apicalis Osborn & Drake, 1915

Saica apicalis ( Figs. 23–24 ), originally described from Guatemala (Osborn & Drake 1915), has been recorded from Panama, French Guiana, Brazil, and Argentina ( McAtee & Malloch 1923; Villiers 1943; Wygodzinsky 1949; Froeschner 1988; Maldonado 1990; Melo & Coscarón 1994; Gil-Santana & Marques 2005). Elkins (1951) recorded this species from Texas, USA, based on a single specimen collected at light. However, Blinn (1990) considered the presence of S. apicalis in Texas could be a result of an accidental introduction of an exotic species, or a labeling error. This author also considered the species widely distributed in Central America south of Mexico, without further consideration of specimens examined or countries included.

Gil-Santana & Marques (2005) related the variability of the posterior pronotal spines in S. apicalis , from long to imperceptible. The specimen studied here has moderately long posterior pronotal spines ( Fig. 24 ).

New record. Bolivia, El Carmen.

Material examined: BOLIVIA, 1 male, El Carmen, Camargo, II-[1]955 [ MZUSP].

Figures

FIGURES 22 – 24. 22. Paratagalis spinosus, female, head and pronotum, dorsal view. Figs. 23 – 24, Saica apicalis, male, 23, dorsal view; 24, head and pronotum, lateral view, the arrow points the posterior pronotal spine.