Ptilocerus Gray, 1831

Rédei, Dávid & Tsai, Jing-Fu, 2011, The assassin bug subfamilies Centrocnemidinae and Holoptilinae in Taiwan (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 51 (2), pp. 411-442 : 432

Genus Ptilocerus Gray, 1831

Ptilocerus Gray, 1831: 34 . Type species by monotypy: Ptilocerus fuscus Gray, 1831 . Maotys Amyot & Serville, 1843: 318 . Unnecessary new name for Ptilocerus Gray, 1831 (cf. STÅL 1874: 5).

References. LETHIERRY & SEVERIN (1896): 93 (catalogue); KIRKALDY (1902): 137 (synonymy); DISTANT (1903): 198 (redescription, fauna of India); MONTANDON (1907): 416 (key to selected species); OSHANIN (1908): 522 (catalogue, Palaearctic); OSHANIN (1912): 50 (catalogue, Palaearctic); FUKUI (1926): 9 (redescription, fauna of Japan); STICHEL (1960): 367 (catalogue, Palaearctic); STICHEL (1962): 106 (catalogue, Palaearctic); HSIAO & REN (1981): 411 (redescription, fauna of China and Taiwan); MALIPATIL (1989): 284 (in key); PUTSHKOV & PUTSHKOV (1996):171 (catalogue, Palaearctic); MALDONADO CAPRILES (1990): 339 (catalogue, world).

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other genera of the subfamily Holoptilinae by the combination of the following characters: antenna and hind tibia densely clothed with fine setae much longer than diameter of respective segments; postocular part of head lacking a radiating cluster of setae situated on a central elevation; antenna 4-segmented, apex of segments II and III not produced beyond base of segments III and IV, respectively; corium with 3 distinct cells; hind tarsus 2-segmented; abdominal trichome present.

Distribution and diversity. The genus currently contains 16 species occurring from South Asia through the Malay Archipelago to northern Australia; Ptilocerus immitis Uhler, 1896 also enters the marginal areas of the Palaearctic Region ( Japan). Two species are recognized in Taiwan.