Synopsis of the genus Empicoris (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) in Chile Author Melo, María Cecilia Departamento Sistemática, Instituto de Limnología “ R. A. Ringuelet ” (ILPLA), CCT La Plata, CONICET- UNLP, Av. Calchaquí km 23.5 (1888) Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina; e-mail: cecimelo @ ilpla. edu. ar Author Faúndez, Eduardo Iván Grupo Entomon, Laboratorio de Entomología, Instituto de la Patagonia, Universidad de Magallanes, Avenida Bulnes 01855, Casilla 113 - D, Punta Arenas, Chile; e-mail: ed. faundez @ gmail. com & Centro de Estudios en Biodiversidad (CEBCh), Magallanes 1979, Osorno, Chile. Author Ilpla Author Conicet Author Unlp Author Cebc text Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 2011 2011-06-30 51 1 11 20 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.5327122 0374-1036 5327122 Empicoris errabundus ( Say, 1832 ) ( Figs. 2 , 5 ) Ploiaria errabunda Say, 1832: 34 . USA . Ploiariola errabunda : VAN DUZEE (1916: 27) . Ploiariodes errabunda : MCATEE & MALLOCH (1922: 95) . Empicoris errabundus : MCATEE & MALLOCH (1925: 24) ; WYGODZINSKY (1949: 27) ; WYGODZINSKY (1966: 373) ; MALDONADO CAPRILES (1990: 148) ; GIL- SANTANA et al. (2005: 140). Ploiariodes tuberculata Banks, 1909: 46 . Ploiariola tuberculata : VAN DUZEE (1916: 27) . Empicoris reticulatus McAtee & Malloch, 1925: 20 . Empicoris orthoneuron McAtee & Malloch, 1925: 18 . Empicoris orthoneuron : WYGODZINSKY (1949: 27) ; WYGODZINSKY (1966: 381–382) ; MALDONADO CAPRILES (1990: 149) ; GIL- SANTANA et al. (2005: 140). Material examined. CHILE : MAULE REGION: 1 spec. without abdomen, Curicó : Cerro Huela – Huelan , Zapallar [ 35º03′S 71º06′W ], i.1998 , Malaise trap , Barriga leg. ( MACN ) ; 1 J, Zapallar , 15 km E Curicó [ 35º03′S 71º06′W ], Malaise trap , ii.1998 , Barriga leg. ( MACN ) . Distribution. This species is known from Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Guatemala , Jamaica , Mexico , Paraguay , Peru , and southern and western USA ( WYGODZINSKY 1966 , MALDONADO CAPRILES 1990 ); herein we record it from Chile for the first time. Remarks. WYGODZINSKY (1966) noted that this species showed an extraordinary wide range of variation, so that the study of isolated extreme specimens would have suggested the presence of different taxa. GIL- SANTANA et al. (2005) observed in one population of Empicoris from Brazil specimens with alternated combinations of features of both E. orthoneuron and E. errabundus species. This made them conclude that the diagnostic characters to separate these species were actually variable and therefore both species are synonyms. After the examination of numerous individuals that are intermediate in various aspects we also believe that there is only one very variable species.