Blaptostethus pluto ( Distant, 1910 ) Ballal & Akbar & Yamada & Wachkoo & Varshney, 2018

Ballal, Chandish R., Akbar, Shahid Ali, Yamada, Kazutaka, Wachkoo, Aijaz Ahmad & Varshney, Richa, 2018, Annotated catalogue of the flower bugs from India (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae, Lasiochilidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 58 (1), pp. 207-226 : 211

Blaptostethus pluto ( Distant, 1910) comb. nov.

Triphleps pluto Distant, 1910: 307 . SYNTYPE: ♀, India, Calcutta [= Kolkata] (BMNH).

Type material examined: LECTOTYPE (present designation): ♀, ‘Type / H. T.’ [printed circle with red border], ‘under leaf / space of bamboo / Calcutta / 17-IX-09’ [handwritten], ‘Distant Coll. / 1911–383’ [printed], ‘Triphleps / pluto / Dist’ [Distant’s handwritten] ( BMNH).

Distribution in India. West Bengal: Kolkata ( DISTANT 1910).

General distribution. Endemic.

Biology. According to the attached label, the type specimen was found under leaf space of bamboo, which is similar to the preferable habitat of Blaptostethus species.

Taxonomy. While studying the syntype, it became obvious that this species should be transferred to Blaptostethus based on the following character combination: labium reaching mid coxae; profemur enlarged and with four long spines on anteroventral surface; ostiolar peritreme curved anteriorly and not reaching anterior margin of metapleuron.