Leptoglossus chilensis chilensis (Spinola)

Brailovsky, Harry, 2014, Illustrated key for identification of the species included in the genus Leptoglossus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae: Coreinae: Anisoscelini), and descriptions of five new species and new synonyms, Zootaxa 3794 (1), pp. 143-178 : 151

Leptoglossus chilensis chilensis (Spinola)

( Fig. 24 )

Anisoscelis chilensis Spinola, 1852: 172 .

Leptoglossus argentinus Bergroth, 1894: 165 . nov. syn.

The original description by Bergroth (1894) is extensive but does not include relevant diagnostic characters other than indicating that the ventral surface of the body lacks discoidal spots and the total length of the body is less than 12 mm. Comparing all the information available, the fact that the type of Leptoglossus argentinus is apparently lost, and taking into account all the species of Leptoglossus reported from Argentina, I consider that this species is really L. chilensis ( Spinola, 1852) , a very variable species originally described from Chile, later reported from Argentina, and subsequently split into two forms which later were raised to subspecific rank. Leptoglossus chilensis is characterized by small individuals less than 13 mm in total length, and the pronotal disk may have or not a transverse broad, dark yellow band. Allen (1969) in his revision of the genus Leptoglossus corroborates the proposal made by Pennington (1922) with respect to the genus in Argentina; nevertheless neither one made a taxonomic decision about the validity of L. argentinus . Packauskas (2010), in his catalog of American coreids, lists L. argentinus as a valid species without additional comments. In the present revision, L. argentinus is formally synonymized under L. chilensis chilensis (Spinola) .

Figures

FIGURES 24 – 27. Dorsal view of Leptoglossus spp. 24, L. chilensis chilensis (Spinola) (female). 25, L. chilensis concaviusculus Berg (female). 26, L. cinctus (Herrich-Schaeffer) (female). 27, L. clypealis Heidemann (male).