Research Article |
Corresponding author: Hélcio R. Gil-Santana ( helciogil@hotmail.com ) Academic editor: Guanyang Zhang
© 2016 Hélcio R. Gil-Santana.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Gil-Santana HR (2016) First description of the male of Hiranetis atra Stål and new country records, with taxonomic notes on other species of Hiranetis Spinola (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Reduviidae, Harpactorinae). ZooKeys 605: 91-111. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.605.8797
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The male of Hiranetis atra Stål, 1872 is described and illustrated for the first time. In addition, this paper illustrates the female and provides new country records for this species. Photographs of all extant types of species of Hiranetis Spinola, 1840 are presented with taxonomic notes on the other two species of the genus.
Costa Rica, Ecuador, Graptocleptes , Harpactorini , Hiranetis braconiformis , Hiranetis membranacea , wasp-mimicking bug
Harpactorinae is the largest subfamily of Reduviidae and is represented by the tribes Apiomerini and Harpactorini in the Neotropical region (
Recently,
In a review of Alabagrus Enderlein, 1920 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae),
Most authors have only mentioned or taken into consideration the pattern of yellowish or straw-colored hemelytra with a median transverse black band, in relation to the alleged mimicry between Harpactorini and certain Ichneumonidae and Braconidae, as models (
Sexual dimorphism has been recorded in several species of Harpactorini. In addition to the bigger size and larger abdomen of females, which is common in many other insects, males in several genera have larger eyes and/or the thickening of the third antennal segment in its basal portion. The latter has been considered to be among the diagnostic features at genus level (
In the present paper, the male of Hiranetis atra is described and illustrated for the first time. In addition, this paper illustrates the female and provides new country records for this species. Photographs of all extant types of species of Hiranetis and taxonomic notes on the other two species of the genus are presented.
Photographs of the type specimens of Hiranetis atra, which are deposited at the Swedish Royal
Dissections of the male genitalia were made removing the pygophore from the abdomen with a pair of forceps and then clearing it in KOH solution for 24 hours. The dissected structures were studied and photographed in glycerol. Drawings were made using a camera lucida. Images of external and genital structures by the author were taken with digital cameras (Nikon D5200® with a Nikon® Macro Lens 105 mm, Sony DSC-W830® and Sony DSC-HX400V®). The vestiture (setation) was omitted in the ink drawings showing some genital structures (Figs
Hiranetis
Spinola, 1840: 112–113 [description];
Hiranetis membranacea Spinola, 1840: 113–114, by monotypy.
General appearance: wasp-mimetic. Head gibbous, large, as long as wide across eyes, densely covered with long setae on ventral and postocular portions; postantennal tubercles very short to almost imperceptible, acute or rounded; legs elongated, slender; fore femur slightly longer than head and pronotum together, thicker basally. Hemelytra long, surpassing the abdomen by about half of the length of the membrane.
Hiranetis
atra
Stål, 1872: 82–83 [description];
Hiranetis atra was first described based on one or more female specimens from Bogotá, Colombia (
Although no figures of H. atra have so far been published, the Swedish Royal Natural History Museum (
Based on these photos,
However, Dr Gunvi Lindberg (
Hiranetis atra Stål, females. 1–2 syntypes, dorsal view, photos: Gunvi Lindberg. Copyright Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm (
On the other hand, because the original description (
In addition to the male and female from Costa Rica that are described below, an additional female from Ecuador (Figs
One male and one female, each with a green label with the same information: “Museum Paris, Costa Rica, Paul Serre, 1920” (
Hiranetis atra can be readily separated from other species of the genus by its general coloration, which is mostly blackish, especially the hemelytra, which are completely dark (Figs
MALE. Figures
Hiranetis atra Stål, male genitalia, dorsal view. 14–15 endosoma, without dorsal apical-median process. (A: semi-oblong dorsal prolongation at midportion of endosoma wall; B–E: endosoma processes, B: U to M-shaped basal process; C: median subspherical process; D: small sclerotized thickened curved process; E: transverse thickening) 16–17 endosoma processes 16 median. 17 dorsal apical-median. Scale bar: (14–15): 0.3 mm; (16): 0.1 mm; (17): 0.3 mm.
FEMALE (from Costa Rica): Measurements (mm): Total length: to tip of abdomen: 16.5; to tip of hemelytra: 21.0; head: total length (lateral view): 2.3; maximum width across eyes: 2.2; interocular space: 1.2; antennal segments: I: 6.3; II: 2.3; III-IV: absent; labium segments: II [first visible]: 1.6; III: 1.3; IV: 0.5. Thorax: pronotum: fore lobe length: 0.9; hind lobe: length: 2.5; width at posterior margin: 3.5. Legs: fore legs: femur: 6.0; tibia: 6.0; tarsus: 0.7; mid legs: femur: 4.9; tibia: 6.5; tarsus: 0.7; hind legs: femur: 7.2; tibia: 10.0; tarsus: 0.9. Abdomen: length: 9.5; maximum width: 3.8. Similar to male (Fig.
Since all the specimens studied here have hemelytra that are completely darkened without any yellowish markings (Figs
The importance of the male genitalia for distinguishing species within Harpactorini genera has previously been recorded, e.g. in Aristathlus Bergroth, 1913 (
There are no previous studies describing the male genitalia of any species of Hiranetis, but there is one study on a species of Graptocleptes (G. bicolor;
Colombia (
Costa Rica, Ecuador.
Myocoris
braconiformis
Burmeister, 1835: 226 [description];
Hiranetis
braconiformis
;
Myocoris
pompilodes
Burmeister, 1838: 106 [description];
Hiranetis
pompilodes
;
Myocoris
pompiloides
[sic]:
Hiranetis
pompiloides
[sic]:
Myocoris braconiformis, female, “typus”, labels: 2777 / Braconiformis, N., Stoll. Cim. t. 21.f.147 [green label] / Pará, Sieber [green label] / Typus [red label]; Myocoris pompilodes, female, “typus”, labels: 2771 / Pompilodes, N. [green label] / Cameta, Sieber [green label] / Typus [red label]; Myocoris pompilodes, male, “allotypus”, labels: 2771 / * Hiranetis pompilodes Burm., ♂, Allotypus / Cameta, Sieber [green label] / Allo-Typus [red label] (ZMHB).
The female “typus” of Hiranetis braconiformis (Burmeister), described from “Para” (
The female “typus” and a male “allotypus” of H. pompilodes (Burmeister), from “Cameta”, are also deposited in ZMHB (Figs
All of these points may be important in ascertaining the type locality of these taxa and are particularly relevant because H. pompilodes was subsequently considered by
With the exception of the mention of the length, the descriptions of H. braconiformis and H. pompilodes emphasized only their coloration (
The fact that
On the other hand,
Subsequently,
Brazil (state of Pará, Amazonian region) (
Hiranetis
membranacea
Spinola, 1840: 113–114 [description];
Myocoris
membranaceus
;
Myocoris
barbipes
Burmeister, 1838: 107 [description];
Hiranetis
barbipes
;
Myocoris barbipes, female, “typus”, labels: 2772 / barbipes, two unrecognizable markings, &, ♀. / Bras. r. Olf. [green label] / Typus [red label] (ZMHB).
The description of Hiranetis mentioned some structural features, and also that their tibiae are all hairy (
After making this short description,
However, he concluded by stating that the intermediary specimens that he had at hand left no doubt in his own mind regarding the unity of the species.
Unfortunately, it was not possible to locate any type specimen of H. membranacea. The material described by Massimiliano Spinola (1780–1857) is in his collection, which is deposited in the “Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali”, Turin, Italy (
Myocoris barbipes was considered to be the largest species among several other species that were included in Myocoris Burmeister, 1835, at that time (
In a footnote,
Brazil (
Hiranetis atra can be separated from the other species of the genus by its coloration, which is predominantly blackish, including the hemelytra, which are entirely dark (Figs
Otherwise, while all other currently valid species have the pattern of yellowish or straw-colored hemelytra, with a median, transverse band and a dark apex (Figs
Taking in account the variation in H. membranacea, in relation to its description by
As discussed above, the previous statements regarding synonymies between taxa of Hiranetis (
A better record of size, including possible sexual variation, and studies on structural features, particularly the male genitalia, and possibly a molecular approach, could help or be determinant in defining the taxonomy of H. braconiformis, H. barbipes, H. membranacea, and H. pompilodes.
However, it seems that such studies on the type specimens will be impossible. In addition to the loss of types of H. membranacea, two of the extant types are females and in the only male, the distal portion of the abdomen is missing, and consequently the genitalia is no longer available for examination.
Therefore, in order to resolve the taxonomy of Hiranetis spp. a taxonomic review of the group should be done in the future, including the study of a new series of specimens.
I am very grateful to Jürgen Deckert (ZMHB) and Éric Guilbert (