Redescription of Nesocastolus nigrocoris (Fracker and Bruner) and notes on the genus (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae)

2 Pages·1993·0.79 MB·

by  Capriles J Maldonado

PROC. ENTOMOL. SOC. WASH.
95(4), 1993, pp. 562-563
REDESCRIPTION OF NESOCASTOLUS NIGROCORIS
(FRACKER AND BRUNER) AND NOTES ON THE GENUS
(HETEROPTERA: REDUVIIDAE: HARPACTORINAE)
J. Maldonado Capriles
Professor Emeritus, Department ofCrop Protection, College ofAgricultural Sciences,
University ofPuerto Rico, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico 00681. Mailing address: Urb. Aponte
6 11, Cayey, Puerto Rico 00736.
Abstract.—T\\t holotype and paratypes ofNesocastolus nigrocoris (Frackerand Bruner)
wereexamined. Differentiatingcharactersbetweenthisspeciesand CastolusStMaregiven.
Key Words: Nesocastolus nigrocoris, Castolus sp., Reduviidae
Bruner and Barber (1937) erected the ge- hasthefirstantennal longerthanthe second
nus Nesocastolus to include Castolus mul- and much longerthanhead, firstrostral seg-
ticinctusvar. nigrocorisFrackerandBruner, ment longer than second and setae without
1924, known only from Cuba. They gave enlarged bases. The setae of Nesocastolus
this variety species rank and designated it arise from low conical bases. I expand their
the type of the genus. They studied seven notes about how to differentiate these two
other specimens four ofwhich, besides the genera and I add a few other characters.
female holotype, are at the National Mu- All comparisons refer to species of Cas-
seumofNaturalHistory(NMNH)inWash- tolus. Anterior femora shorter and stouter
ington, D.C. The specimens are from San- (3.18; 0.62 at thickest point, prebasal, Fig.
tiago de las Vegas, El Cano, and Caibaren. 5), and shorter as compared with thorax
Herein I describethe male andcompare the (2.63, 3.18). The hemelytra of females at
three other specimens with the type. The most slightly surpasstheabdomen, whereas
speciesisquite variable, withinagivengeo- in Castolus they surpass it by close to 2.00.
graphic locality, so, no subspecific names In the lattergenus the apex ofthe pterostig-
should be given to these forms. In the notes maalmostreachestheapexoftheabdomen,
that follow all measurements are in mm. a useful generic character. The discal cell of
NMNH
The specimens at are labeled as the corium is unusually quadrangular (Fig.
follows: female holotype, Santiago de las 2). It iselongate in most neotropicalgenera.
Vegas, S. C. Bruner, no date; specimens Thegenus lacks a mesopleural plica, an im-
comparedwith type: female, Santiagodelas portant character not mentioned by the au-
Vegas, Habana, EEA, Cuba, April 26, 1926, thors ofboth papers. The anterior lobe of
S. C. Bruner; female. El Cano, Cuba, EEA, the pronotum raises almost vertically be-
Nov. 20, 1931, S. C. Bruner; female, San- hindthecollar(Fig. 2). Themoderatelylong,
tiagodelasVegas, May25, 1924, B. Barreto fine, vertical setae of the head, legs, and
and a male, labeled Santiago de las Vegas, thorax arise from low, conical bases that
May 26, 1921, BTB(arreto). give the corresponding margin a slight but
Nesocastolus, asmentionedbyBrunerand clear, seemingly undulate appearance (no-
Barber, looks close to Castolus. The latter tice upper margin of head and pronotum,
VOLUME 95, NUMBER 4 563
Figs. 1-5. Nesocastolus nigrocohs(Frackerand Bruner); female. 1, head and pronotum, lateral aspect, with
dorsal detail ofanterior angle ofpronotum. Male holotype. 2, corial discal cell; 3, hypopygial margin, caudal
aspect; 4, hypopygium, lateral aspect; 5, profemur, dorsal aspect.
Fig. 1). Species of Castolus typically have gles, tibia red basally, and mostly red ab-
short, slender parameres, with their apices dominal sterna. This specimen has a swol-
well separated from the hypopygial caudal len gular region that gives the head an oval
spine and a group of setae between them. outline on lateral view. This swelling, not
The parameres of Nesocastolus nigrocoris mentioned by Bruner and Barber, is prob-
reach the hypopygial spine and the hypo- ably an abnormality, but ifnot it would be
pygial margin lacks a group of setae (Figs. an excellent differentiating character. In all
3,4). the female specimens (Fig. 1) the lowerand
The other three females studied vary in upper surfaces ofthe head are subparallel.
coloration from the described female. The
Literature Cited
female collected in 1924 by Barreto, has a
mostly red head, both lobes ofthorax red, Bruner, S. C. and H. G. Barber. 1937. Additional
hemelytra red with black membrane, basal notes on Cuban Reduviidae (Hemiptera—Heter-
halfoffemora red, and mostly black sterna. optera). Memoriasde la Sociedadcubanade His-
The male has the posterior lobe ofthe pro- toria Natural 11: 181-190.
Fracker, S. B. and S. C. Brunner. 1924. Notes on
notum black, the head mostly black, black some neotropical Reduviidae. Annals ofthe En-
hemelytra except for reddish humeral an- tomological Society ofAmerica 17: 163-174.