A taxonomic monograph of the assassin bug genus Zelus Fabricius (Hemiptera: Reduviidae): 71 species based on 10,000 specimens
Author
Zhang, Guanyang
Author
Hart, Elwood R
Author
Weirauch, Christiane
text
Biodiversity Data Journal
2016
4
8150
8150
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e8150
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e8150
1314-2828--8150
262DB958242246B692E61675C3C07DB1
262DB958242246B692E61675C3C07DB1
Zelus couturieri
Iquitozelus couturieri
Berenger
, 2003, p. 23, orig. descr. and fig.
Zelus couturieri
(
Berenger
, 2003), comb. nov. (current study).
Materials
Type status:
Holotype
. Occurrence: occurrenceRemarks: Host plant: Psidium guajava; recordedBy:
Couturier, G
; sex:
Adult Female
; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluscouturieri; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: (Berenger, 2003); Location: country:
Peru
; stateProvince: Loreto; locality:
Iquitos
; Event: eventDate:
1992-07-20
; Record Level: institutionCode:
Museum
national d'Histoire naturelle
Type status:
Paratype
. Occurrence: occurrenceRemarks: Host plant: Psidium guajava; recordedBy:
Couturier, G
; sex:
Adult Female
; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluscouturieri; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: (Berenger, 2003); Location: country:
Peru
; stateProvince: Loreto; locality:
Iquitos
; Event: eventDate:
1992-07-20
; Record Level: institutionCode:
Museo de Entomologia, Universidad Agraria La Molina, Lima
Type status:
Paratype
. Occurrence: occurrenceRemarks: Host plant: Psidium guajava; recordedBy:
Couturier, G
; sex:
Adult Female
; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluscouturieri; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: (Berenger, 2003); Location: country:
Peru
; stateProvince: Loreto; locality:
Iquitos
; Event: eventDate:
1992-07-20
; Record Level: institutionCode:
USNM
Type status:
Paratype
. Occurrence: occurrenceRemarks: Host plant: Psidium guajava; recordedBy:
Couturier, G
; sex:
Adult Female
; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluscouturieri; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: (Berenger, 2003); Location: country:
Peru
; stateProvince: Loreto; locality:
Iquitos
; Event: eventDate:
1992-07-20
; Record Level: institutionCode:
Jean-Michel Berenger Collection
Description
Figs 63, 64
Diagnosis
The connexivum segment VI with foliaceous expansion is unique among all females of
Zelus
spp.
Distribution
South America (Fig. 64). Known only from Peru.
Taxon discussion
Berenger
(2003)
described a new species of
Harpactorini
from Iquitos, Peru, and erected a new genus,
Iquitozelus
to accommodate this species. We here transfer
I. couturieri
to
Zelus
for reasons aforementioned. This species shows a great deal of resemblance to three other species of
Zelus
,
Z. amblycephalus
,
Z. umbraculus
and
Z. umbraculoides
, all newly described in the current study. In these species, the head, legs and pronotum are more or less uniformly greenish-brown. There are a number of differences. The posterior pronotal lobe disc in
Z. couturieri
appears to be only slightly above and nearly continuous with humeral angle. In the other three species, the discs are clearly above humeral angle. The posterior margin of the posterior pronotal lobe in
Z. couturieri
is not developed, whereas it is well defined in other species. Furthermore, the lateral process of the humeral angle is conspicuously darkened, also unique to
Z. couturieri
. Based the foregoing observations, it is likely that
Z. couturieri
represents a distinct a species, and not the female of
Z. umbraculoides
or
Z. umbraculus
. The specimens were not physically examined as
Berenger
(2003)
has provided a detailed description of this species.