Key to the genera of Haematosiphoninae from the Western Hemisphere

The key given by Usinger (1966) needs to be partially modified by the above discussion of diagnostic characteristics and the incorporation of Alayocimex and Cyanolicimex. These partial modifications are mostly related to the South American genera, because specimens of the North American species were not available and are out of the scope of the present work. The item in the key corresponding to the genus Cimexopsis List, 1925 cannot be separated with certainty, and it is not included here. Lists of hosts, localities, and references were summarized by Di Iorio & Turienzo (2008 2009), Di Iorio et al. (2008), and Turienzo & Di Iorio (2007 2010).

1. Ectospermalege “hat-shaped”, right ventral near lateral margin between sixth and seventh segments. Sides of pronotum with long bristles; posterlateral angles of pronotum rounded; females with apical tufts of hairs in front and middle tibiae. Western United States. Hosts: Hirundinidae (primary); Picidae, Strigidae (secondary) ........ Hesperocimex

1’. Ectospermalege dorsal either at middle or on right side on sixth or seventh segments .............................................. 2

2. Posterior margin of pronotum slightly concave or convex........................................................................................... 3

2’. Posterior margin of pronotum strongly convex (see fig. 1 in Hernandez Triana & de la Cruz 1994). Cuba. Host: Apodidae ............................................................................................................................................................. Alayocimex

3. Posterolateral angles of pronotum more or less angulate, with two longer bristles (Lb1 + Lb2 or Lb2 + Lb3) (Figs. 11, 15, 18); row of bristles in lateral margins of pronotum does not continues to posterior margin .......................... 4

3’. Posterolateral angles of pronotum rounded; Lb2 distinguisable by its greater length and its more internal base (Figs. 5–6); row of bristles in lateral margins of pronotum continue to posterior margin (Fig. 6). Argentina (Río Negro). Host: Psittacidae ( Cyanoliseus patagonus) ............................................................................................... Cyanolicimex

4. Abdominal tergites in females strongly asymmetrical. United States. Host: Apodidae .......................... Synxenoderus

4’. Abdominal tergites not asymmetrical at right margin and not at all in males ............................................................. 5

5. Rostrum long (> 1 mm), reaching beyond apices of middle coxae (pinned specimens); A2 subequal to IS; spermalege mid-dorsal. United States; Mexico. Hosts: raptor birds [ Accipitridae, Cathartidae, Falconidae, Strigidae, Tytonidae] (primary); Phasianidae (secondary) ............................................................................................... Haematosiphon

5’. Rostrum shorter (<1 mm), reaching to or a little beyond apices of front coxae (in pinned and also on slide-mounted specimens); A2 <pIS; spermalege opening on right side ......................................................................................... 6

6. Maximal width of pronotum at middle of pronotal length; lateral margins converging anteriorly and posteriorly (Figs. 14, 17); tuft of hairs in apices of front and middle tibiae in both sexes ............................................................ 7

6’. Pronotum widest at base; lateral margins converging anteriorly (Fig. 10); Lb1 indistinguisable (Fig. 11); with a first posterior long bristle (Lb3) respect to Lb2; both bristles nearly 9 times pronotal length; paramere not exceeding margin of genital segment (Fig. 13); females with apical tuft of hairs only in front tibiae. USA (introduced?); Mexico; Brazil; Argentina. Hosts: Hirundinidae (primary), Psittacidae (?); Phasianidae (secondary) .................. Ornithocoris

7. A2> aIS (Fig. 17); ectospermalege on anterior margin of a long internal lobe produced forward from anterior margin of seventh tergite at middle (Fig. 20); paramere long, exceeding side of genital segment (Fig. 19). Argentina. Host: Psittacidae [ Myiopsitta monachus] (primary) ..................................................................................... Psitticimex

7’. A2 <aIS (Fig. 14); ectospermalege not as above; paramere just beyond the margin of genital segment (Fig. 16). Argentina; Uruguay. Hosts: Passeriformes [ Emberizidae, Hirundinidae, Icteridae, Passeridae, Troglodytidae) .......... ...................................................................................................................................................................Acanthocrios