Agroecus griseus Dallas, 1851

(Figs 16–19)

Agroecus griseus Dallas, 1851: 199; Walker, 1867: 243; Stål, 1872b: 23; Distant, 1880: 329; Lethierry & Severin, 1893: 126; Kirkaldy, 1909: 63; Jensen-Haarup, 1937: 171; Buckup, 1957: 8; Buckup, 1961: 9; Rider & Rolston, 1987: 437–438.

Agroecus tenebricosus Buckup, 1957: 8 .

Material studied. Barra do Ribeiro: 1♂, Boa Vista farm, 30°27’25.4”S 51°16’23.8”W, 16.XII.2003, Probio Team leg. (MCNZ) . Itaúba: 1♀, 06.IV.1978, H. Bischoff leg. (MCNZ); 1♂, 1♀, 18.IV.1978, M. H. Galileo leg. (MCNZ); 1♂, 1♀, 06.IV.1978, E. H. Buckup leg. (MCNZ); 2♀, 06.IX.1978, E. H. Buckup leg. (MCNZ) . Palmares do Sul: 1♀, 1♂, Capivari Lake isthmus, 30°15’08.2”S 50°32’01.1”W, 20.V.2004, Probio Team leg. (MCNZ) . Porto Alegre: 1♂, Agronomia, 24.X.1985, Fernandes leg. (UFRG) ; 1♂, Vila Assunção, 21.IV.1985, A. Mohr leg. (UFRG) ; 1♂, 26.XI.1991, J. A. M. Fernandes leg. (UFRG); 1♀, 24.IX.1952 (MCNZ); 1♀, 23.IX.1952 (MCNZ); 1♀, 09.V.1951 (MCNZ); 1♀, 23.XII.1952 (MCNZ); 1♀, 08.IX.1948 (MCNZ); 1♀, 18.II.1953 (MCNZ); 1♂, 13.V.1953 (MCNZ); 1♂, 03.X.1951 (MCNZ), 1♂, 18.VIII.1954 (MCNZ); 1♂, 24.X.1956 (MCNZ); 1♂, 27.VI.1953 (MCNZ); 1♂, 20.IX.1954 (MCNZ); 1♂, 05.X.1949 (MCNZ) . São Leopoldo: 1♀, (MCNZ) . Triunfo: 1♂, Parque Braskem, main trail, 16.IX.2009, A. Barcellos & D. Casagrande leg. (MCNZ) ; 1♂, Parque Copesul, Mirante do Umbu trail, 29.IV.2003, (MCNZ) ; 1♂, Parque Copesul, portico trail, 29.IV.2003, (MCNZ) ; 1♂, Parque Copesul, 19.XI.2002, (MCNZ) . Tupandi: 1♀, V.2009, R. V. Dalbem leg. (UFRG) .

Diagnostic features. Body grayish. Head wider than long; mandibular plates and clypeus subequal in length. Anterolateral margins of pronotum straight or sub rectilinear and crenulated (Rider & Rolston 1987); humeral angles weakly produced and obtuse; trans-humeral band with callosities but without punctures (Fig. 16). Scutellum with a prominent Y-shaped tubercle (Fig. 16). Corium bands without punctures (Fig. 17, red arrow) and minute teeth on lateral margins (Fig. 17). All femora with two rows of small tubercles bearing setae (Fig. 18). Body length: 7.00– 8.50 mm.

Recorded host plants. Maize (Gassen 1996; Fávaro et al. 2012).

Distribution in Rio Grande do Sul. Barra do Ribeiro, Itaúba, Palmares do Sul, Porto Alegre, Santa Maria, São Leopoldo, Triunfo and Tupandi (Fig. 19).

New records. Barra do Ribeiro, Itaúba, Palmares do Sul, Porto Alegre, São Leopoldo, Triunfo and Tupandi.

Comments. This species feeds at the base of plants, affecting tissue formation during growth (Gassen 1996).