Zelus minutus
A taxonomic monograph of the assassin bug genus Zelus Fabricius (Hemiptera: Reduviidae): 71 species based on 10,000 specimens
Zhang, Guanyang
Hart, Elwood R
Weirauch, Christiane
Biodiversity Data Journal
2016
4
8150
8150
5D25J
Hart, 1987
Hart
1987
Insecta
Reduviidae
Zelus
CoL
Animalia
Zelus minutus
Hemiptera
0
8150
Arthropoda
species
minutus
Zelus minutusHart, 1987, p. 299-301, figs. 16-21, orig. descr., note, fig. and key; Maldonado, 1990, p. 330, cat.
Materials Type status: Holotype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00023689; recordedBy: P.H. van Doesburg, Jr; sex: Adult Male; Taxon: scientificName: Zelusminutus; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: SURINAME; stateProvince: Commewijne; locality: Pl. Leliendaal; decimalLatitude: 5.86666; decimalLongitude: -55.03333; georeferenceSources: Gazetteer; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1963-03-17; Record Level: institutionCode: RMNH Type status: Allotype. Occurrence: recordedBy: P.H. van Doesburg, Jr; sex: Adult Female; Taxon: scientificName: Zelusminutus; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: SURINAME; stateProvince: Para; locality: Republiek; decimalLatitude: 5.5; decimalLongitude: -55.2; georeferenceSources: Gazetteer; Event: eventDate: 1962-01-04; Record Level: institutionCode: RMNH Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00071201; recordedBy: F. W. Walker; sex: Adult Male; Taxon: scientificName: Zelusminutus; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: COLOMBIA; stateProvince: Magdalena; locality: Sevilla; decimalLatitude: 10.76343; decimalLongitude: -74.13916; georeferenceSources: Gazetteer; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1926-07-24; Record Level: institutionCode: TAMU Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00009273; recordedBy: J. Zetek; sex: Adult Male; otherCatalogNumbers: 40-14769; Taxon: scientificName: Zelusminutus; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PANAMA; stateProvince: Canal Zone; locality: Barro Colorado Island; decimalLatitude: 9.16666; decimalLongitude: -79.83333; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1940-05-24; Record Level: institutionCode: USNM Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00017868; recordedBy: M. Bates; sex: Adult Male; Taxon: scientificName: Zelusminutus; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PANAMA; stateProvince: Colon; locality: Barro Colorado Island, Canal Zone; decimalLatitude: 9.15472; decimalLongitude: -79.84806; georeferenceSources: GeoLocate Software; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: October; Record Level: institutionCode: AMNH Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00030177; occurrenceRemarks: 'Planett 7144' and WW Wirth #1619 44-12740 on label; recordedBy: Unknown; sex: Adult Male; Taxon: scientificName: Zelusminutus; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PANAMA; stateProvince: Colon; locality: Coco Solo; decimalLatitude: 9.37; decimalLongitude: -79.8817; georeferenceSources: Gazetteer; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1944-04-27; Record Level: institutionCode: USNM Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00009272; recordedBy: Harold Morrison; sex: Adult Male; Taxon: scientificName: Zelusminutus; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO; stateProvince: Port-of-Spain; locality: Port-of-Spain, Department Agricultre Grounds; decimalLatitude: 10.66615; decimalLongitude: -61.51613; georeferenceSources: Google Earth; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1918-11-23; Record Level: institutionCode: USNM Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00019690; recordedBy: Borys Malkin; sex: Adult Male; Taxon: scientificName: Zelusminutus; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: VENEZUELA; stateProvince: Portuguesa; locality: Guanare; verbatimElevation: 173 m; decimalLatitude: 9.05; decimalLongitude: -65.75; georeferenceSources: Gazetteer; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1957-09-10to 1957-09-13; Record Level: institutionCode: CAS
Description Figs 141, 142, 143 Male: (Fig. 141) Small, total length 7.80-10.13 mm (mean 9.00 mm, Suppl. material 2); slender. COLORATION: Yellowish-brown to brownish-black, shining. Antennae yellowish-brown to brown, apex of scape and pedicel and base of pedicel darker than remainder of segments. Anterior pronotal lobe yellowish-brown to brownish-black, shining. Posterior pronotal lobe yellowish-brown to brownish-black, pattern variable, medial and lateral areas lightest in dark specimens. Scutellum yellowish-brown, apex lighter than surrounding area. Legs yellowish-brown with two to four brown rings on apical 1/2 of femora, variable brown areas on tibiae. Clavus and corium yellowish-brown to brown, darkest along costal margin, membrane nearly clear, veins dark brown. Dorsum of abdomen yellowish-brown to dark brown, pattern variable, lateral surfaces yellowish-brown. Pygophore yellowish-brown to brown, parameres dark brown to brownish-black. VESTITURE: Moderately setose. Scattered erect and recumbent setae over entire surface of head, longer ventrally. Anterior pronotal lobe with very sparse short recumbent setae on reduced setal tracts dorsally, more dense laterally; posterior pronotal lobe with short recumbent setae over entire surface, some erect setae laterally; scutellum with long recumbent setae. Abdominal venter with sparse short to long erect setae. Parameres with erect setae. STRUCTURE: Head: Cylindrical, L/W = 2.13. Postocular lobe long; in dorsal view distinctly narrowing through anterior 2/3, posterior 1/3 constant, tube-like. Eye prominent; lateral margin much wider than postocular lobe; dorsal margin removed from postocular transverse groove, ventral margin attaining ventral surface of head. Labium: I: II: III = 1: 2.0: 0.5. Basiflagellomere diameter larger than that of pedicel. Thorax: Anterolateral angle with inconspicuous subtuberculate projection; medial longitudinal sulcus shallow near collar, deepening posteriorly. Posterior pronotal lobe with rugulose surface; disc slightly elevated above humeral angle; humeral angle rounded, without projection. Scutellum moderately long; apex angulate, very slightly projected upward. Legs: Slender. Hemelytron: Surpassing apex of abdomen by about length of abdominal segment seven; quadrate cell small; Cu and M of cubital cell subparallel. GENITALIA: (Fig. 142) Pygophore: Elongate ovoid; not expanded laterally in dorsal view. Medial process broadly triangular; short; posteriorly directed, in less than forty-five degree with body axis; straight; apex in posterior view angulate, without modification. Paramere: Cylindrical; long, surpassing medial process; directed posteriad; basally slightly narrower; nearly straight; apical part very slightly enlarged. Phallus: Dorsal phallothecal sclerite somewhat squarish; somewhat enlarged at base; apical portion of phallothecal sclerite not distinctly tapered, flat; apex truncate, medially slightly to greatly emarginate; posterior margin of foramen broadly concave. Struts attached to dorsal phallothecal sclerite; apically separate, connected by bridge; basally fused. Basal plate arm robust; separate; subparallel; in lateral view nearly straight, very slightly curved; bridge moderately long; extension of basal plate small, marginally expanded onto arm. Female: Similar to male, except for the following. Larger than male, total length 10.70 mm (Suppl. material 2).
Diagnosis This species can be readily recognized by the small size (<10.2 mm) and the disc of the posterior lobe with spinous tubercles. The medial process is broadly triangular, apex without modification (shared with the Zelus tetracanthusspecies group). Can be recognized among the Zelus tetracanthusspecies group by the relatively long paramere, exceeding the medial process.
Distribution Southern Central America, South America and adjacent islands of the Caribbean (Fig. 143). Countries with records: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela.
Taxon discussion Zelus minutusshows some variations through its range. The Panamanian specimens have noticeably shorter paramere and the apex of the dorsal phallothecal sclerite is somewhat less emarginate.
1963-03-17
RMNH
P. H. van Doesburg, Jr
SURINAME
5.86666
Pl. Leliendaal
-55.03333
0
8150
UCR _ ENT 00023689
1
Holotype
1962-04-01
RMNH
P. H. van Doesburg, Jr
SURINAME
5.5
Republiek
-55.2
0
8150
1
Allotype
1926-07-24
TAMU
F. W. Walker
COLOMBIA
10.76343
Sevilla
-74.13916
0
8150
UCR _ ENT 00071201
1
Paratype
1940-05-24
USNM
J. Zetek
PANAMA
9.16666
Barro Colorado Island
-79.83333
0
8150
UCR _ ENT 00009273
1
Paratype
October
AMNH
M. Bates
PANAMA
9.15472
Barro Colorado Island, Canal Zone
-79.84806
0
8150
UCR _ ENT 00017868
1
Paratype
1944-04-27
USNM
Unknown
PANAMA
9.37
Coco Solo
-79.8817
0
8150
UCR _ ENT 00030177
1
Paratype
1918-11-23
USNM
Harold Morrison
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
10.66615
Port-of-Spain, Department Agricultre Grounds
-61.51613
0
8150
UCR _ ENT 00009272
1
Paratype
1957-10-09
CAS
Borys Malkin
VENEZUELA
9.05
Guanare
-65.75
0
8150
UCR _ ENT 00019690
1
Paratype