[Zelus] alboannulatus Stål, 1855 by original designation, Kirkaldy, 1909: 388.

Neotropiconyttus may be separated from other wasp-mimicking genera by the following set of characters: Head fairly setose to very densely setose, especially on ventral and postocular portions, postantennal spines curved and directed forward; pronotum not inflated; scutellum visible from above; fore femora thicker only basally; fore tibiae straight.

Integument smooth. Head: gibbous, large, approximately as long as wide across eyes (neck excluded); with sparse long and short, straight or somewhat curved blackish setae; the latter much denser, forming pubescence of long blackish thick setae on postocular portion and gula. Clypeus straight in dorsal view, curved in lateral view. Antennal insertion at level of upper 1/3 of eye; scape straight, shiny; pedicel straight or somewhat curved; basiflagellomere slightly curved or straight; in [known] males somewhat thickened in basal ~ 1/2; distiflagellomere slightly curved and thinner than the other segments. Postantennal spines strongly curved and directed forward. Eyes globose, glabrous, projecting laterally, prominent in dorsal view, close to dorsal margin of head; reaching or not reaching ventral margin of head. Interocular sulcus thin and shallow, curved laterally. Just anterior to it, on midline, a small oval fossa followed anteriorly by a very short thin shallow median sulcus, which sometimes is not evident. Ocelli and portion between them elevated, the former somewhat closer to eyes than to each other. Labium stout, curved, reaching prosternum approximately at proximal part of its distal 1/3; segment II (first visible) thickest and longest, straight, reaching level of distal 1/3 of eye or its posterior margin; segment IV shortest, triangular, tapering. Neck thin. Thorax: Anterior collar narrow; anterolateral angles prominent, subtriangular. Transverse sulcus not deep, interrupted before middle by a pair of submedian shallow carinae; slightly curved laterally. Mid-longitudinal sulcus on fore lobe of pronotum moderately deep; disc of hind lobe smooth; lateral longitudinal sulci well marked at posterior 1/2 to posterior 2/3 of hind lobe of pronotum. Humeral angle slightly or not elevated, rounded at lateral margin. Scutellum with margins elevated, apex rounded. Legs: coxae globose; femora and tibiae slender, elongated, and generally straight. Fore femur shorter than head and pronotum together, thickened at basal portion and somewhat curved at midportion; middle and hind femora slightly thickened basally, sometimes dilated subapically and slightly narrower approximately at median portion where distal pale annuli may be located; apices of all femora with a pair of lateral small tubercles. Fore tibiae thickened apically, where there is a dorsal spur and a mesal comb. Hemelytra long, surpassing abdomen by ~ 1/2 length of membrane. Abdomen: elongated; spiracles rounded.

Colombia.

Neotropiconyttus alboannulatus was described based on (a) female specimen (s) from Colombia (Stål 1855) (Figs 1–3). The female “Typus” currently deposited in NHRS is considered a syntype, according to Art. 73.2 of the ICZN (1999). This specimen has a label with the locality “Remedios”, written by Stål (1855) as the original information. Therefore, according to Art. 76.1 of the ICZN (1999), “Remedios” is considered the type locality of N. alboannulatus. Further, the species was also recorded in Mexico (Walker 1873) and Panama (Champion 1899). The latter author observed only females similar to the type specimen.

Length ~ 9.5 mm. The so far recorded specimens are generally blackish with small whitish annuli on median portion of femora, somewhat larger on hind legs, and the anterior ~ 1/2 of the ventral surface of the abdomen reddish.

Male Holotype. Colombia: Caquetá, Morelia, Vda. Caldas, Fca. El Porvenir; 01°29'57"N, 75°44'03"W, 272 m, 05-Dec.-2021, A. Gamboa// Captura con jama entomológica en dosel (hoja) de [Collected with entomological net in canopy (leaf) of] Theobroma cacao (Malvaceae)-cacao//LEUA-42920//[red printed label:] HOLOTYPE (LEUA).

Neotropiconyttus armandoi sp. nov. can be distinguished from the congeneric species by the orange pronotum with darker orange symmetrical spots on the anterior lobe (Fig. 10).

Male. Measurements (mm): Body length: from frons to tip of hemelytra 11.52; to tip of abdomen 8.42. Head: length 1.74; anteocular portion (lateral view) 0.39; postocular portion (lateral view) 0.49; head width across eyes 1.56; interocular distance 0.76; eye width 0.41; eye length 0.71; ocellar tubercle width 0.26. Antenna: scape length 3.52; pedicel length 0.86. Labium (lateral view): visible segment II length 0.98; labial segment length III 0.68; labial segment length IV 0.40. Thorax: pronotum length (at midline) 1.95; pronotum maximum width 2.23; scutellum length (at midline) 0.59. Hemelytron: total length 8.28; membrane 4.79. Legs (lateral view): foreleg: coxa 0.64; trochanter 0.12; femur 3.31; tibia 3.41; tarsus 0.42; middle leg: coxa 0.26; trochanter 0.21; femur 2.76; tibia 3.32; tarsus 0.45; hind leg: coxa 0.27; trochanter 0.17; femur 3.74; tibia 4.73; tarsus 0.51. Abdomen: total length (ventral view, at midline, from anterior margin of sternite II to posterior border of genitalia): 3.88; maximum width 1.49.

Coloration: Head: mostly black; neck orange; ocellar tubercle paler around each ocellus; eyes dark brown (Figs 5–9); antenna [distal portion absent]: scape, pedicel, and basal portion of first flagellomeres black (Figs 5–7); labium: visible segments: II black, III mostly pale brownish, blackish basally and slightly darker at apex, IV dark brown (Fig. 9). Thorax: mostly orange, somewhat paler at pleural and sternal areas; pronotum, collar, anterior lobe of pronotum with faint reddish tinge; darker orange symmetrical spots (dorsal part) and small reddish dots (lateral and ventral) on anterior lobe; posterior lobe of pronotum orange with inner portions of humeral areas pale brown; scutellum pale orange; mesepisternum orange with small lateral reddish dots and long reddish spot anteroventrally; metepisternum orange anteriorly and black posteriorly, above the hind coxa (Figs 10, 11). Hemelytron: generally orange, somewhat translucent, with anterobasal angle, costal margin and a narrow transversal stripe, fainter at median portion and approximately apical ~ 1/4 of membrane pale blackish (Figs 5–7). Legs: fore and middle coxae orange and trochanters orange basally and darker distally; hind coxae and trochanters blackish. Femora generally orange; from fore to hind femora basal portion progressively more extensively dark brown to blackish; approximately at middle, a submedian ill-defined narrow pale annulus; apices somewhat darkened, more extensively on hind femora. Fore and middle tibiae orange, the former with small basal and distal dark markings, latter with extreme base and a large subbasal portion dark; hind tibiae pale blackish, apex paler; tarsi dark (Figs 7, 14–16). Abdomen: pale orange (sternites II‒IV), darker orange (sternites V and VI), and blackish (sternite VII), spiracles with the area surrounding them reddish, pygophore blackish (Figs 12, 13).

Structure: Head: 1.10× as long as wide, labrum triangular 1.38× as long as wide, postclypeal suture deep, frons 0.51× as wide as head width (anterior view), antennal sclerite slightly raised, postantennal spine curved forward, small, apex acute. Eyes large, protruding, glabrous, rounded, and ellipsoid in dorsal and lateral views, respectively, reaching closer and beyond dorsal and ventral margins of the head; postocular region short; ocelli and area between them elevated, the former much closer to eyes than to each other; ellipsoid on tubercles, tubercles anteriorly bounded by postocular suture, which is thin and shallow, curved laterally; just anterior to it, on midline, a small oval fossa; mandibular plate triangular, maxillary plate slightly bulged, postgena reduced, flat posteriorly, gula slightly swollen (Figs 8, 9); antenna: scape cylindrical, long, somewhat curved; 2.02× as long as head length, base flattened; pedicel 0.24× as long as scape, short, thinner basally; basal portion of basiflagellomeres [the portion still present in the holotype] cylindrical, straight, slightly thicker than scape; remaining portions of basiflagellomere and both distiflagellomeres absent. Labium: [visible] segment II cylindrical, basally curved, 0.47× as long as labium; III slightly curved and reduced, 0.33× as long as labium; IV conical, 0.19× as long as labium. Thorax: collar, 0.02× as long as pronotum at midline, lateral areas longer, subtriangular, in dorsal view; pyramid-shaped in lateral view; anterior lobe of pronotum 0.30× as long as pronotum total length, with mesial longitudinal suture deep, absent on hind lobe; lateral portions of anterior lobe slightly swollen; transverse sulcus of pronotum not deep, interrupted submedially by a pair of shallow carinas straight and curved between and laterally to the latter, respectively. Hind lobe with disc smooth, lateral longitudinal sulci well marked at posterior 1/2 to 2/3; humeral angle moderately elevated, rounded at lateral margin. Scutellum with margins elevated, apex thin, acutely pointed. Pleural suture long; epimeron concave; mesoepisternum swollen; metaepisternum rhomboid (lateral view); metepimeron medial lobe narrowing posteriorly (Figs 10, 11). Hemelytron: 2.13× as long as total abdomen length; membrane ellipsoid, reaching 0.57× hemelytron length total, 2.21× as long as width. Legs: coxa truncated cone-shaped; trochanters, slightly curved; femora enlarged at basal portion and slightly thickened distally, apices with short anterior and posterior projections; tibia generally cylindrical; fore tibia slightly curved basally, enlarged apically where there is a small spur and a mesial comb; middle tibiae straight, slightly thickened at apex; hind tibiae somewhat enlarged at subbasal 1/3; tarsi thickening distally towards the apex (Figs 14–16). Abdomen: 1.98× as long as pronotum total length. Dorsal aspect, segments II‒VII, each from 0.12× to 0.17× as long as abdomen total length, and pygophore 0.09× as long as abdomen total length. Posterior margin of segment VIII exposed ventrally, wider laterally, and shorter at median portion (Figs 12, 13).

Vestiture: Head: labrum glabrous; clypeus, gena, mandibular plate, maxillary plate, and buccula with suberect and slightly pale curved setae, on clypeus distributed on the lower 2/3; frons mostly glabrous with three setae between postantennal spines; vertex mostly glabrous with very few pale setae near margins surrounding eyes; ocellar tubercles with suberect, slightly curved pale and some darkened setae; postocular region with few erect and curved pale and some darkened setae on dorsal and lateral areas; neck glabrous; gula with thick and curved and denser blackish setae on median portion, forming a pubescence (Figs 17, 18). Antenna: scape with few slightly curved, suberect setae, shorter than scape width; pedicel, except the glabrous base, covered by numerous erect and suberect, short and long, straight and curved dark setae, length subequal to pedicel diameter, one seta longer and thinner than others on apex (Fig. 19). Labium: segment II (first visible) with few curved pale setae, on anterior portion, although variable in their length, all shorter than segment diameter; III and IV with very few curved, short, pale setae (Fig. 20). Thorax: anterior margin of prothorax, including collar, propleura and sternal portion, densely setose, forming a pubescence of long, thin, somewhat darkened setae; midline of collar with long sparser pale setae; remaining portions of pronotum generally covered by scattered thin, moderately long, curved or straight pale setae, somewhat more numerous on posterior margin; anterior portions of propleura with numerous long, thin, darkened setae; proepimeron setose; mesoepisternum with setae, denser and longer mesially; mesepimeron covered with very dense short setae; metepisternum with denser setae ventrally (Figs 21, 22). Hemelytron: clavus with short, pale, decumbent, curved setae, which are more numerous on basal portion; corium with similar setae more numerous over veins; membrane glabrous (Fig. 26). Legs: coxae: setae suberect, curved, at least with three different sizes, maximum length 1/2 of coxa diameter in lateral view, on foreleg very numerous on posterior surface, on middle and hind legs very numerous on anterior and posterior surface; trochanter with numerous setae on anterior, mesial, and posterior surfaces, maximum length subequal to coxa diameter in lateral view. Femora, with setae of at least three lengths, some longer than femur width; on basal portion, they are more numerous, forming a pubescence of dense, erect, brush-like setae ventrally; laterally few setae. Tibia covered by many suberect, subdecumbent, and decumbent setae, except basally; setae longer and more abundant proximally, fore, middle, and hind tibiae with long setae densely packed on the tibia apex in medial surface (Figs 23–25). Setae on tarsi suberect, several of which longer than twice tarsus diameter. Abdomen: lateral margin of tergites II‒VI with very few, short, curved, and suberect setae; tergite VII with numerous setae of different sizes; sternites II‒VII with setae on ventral side of different sizes, curved, and suberect, some setae slightly shorter than parameres length, sternite VIII glabrous (Figs 27–32).

Genitalia: Pygophore: mostly black, in dorsal view: 1.12× as long as maximum (anterior) width, concave, slightly narrower in middle and posterior portions; in ventral view wider anteriorly, anterior surface 0.67× as wide as total length, ventrally swollen, with anterior mesial folds extending posteriorly for 0.43× the total length of pygophore; in lateral view, scalene-triangle-shaped, subtrapezoidal, posterior margin upwards. Vestiture: setae yellowish orange, curved, subdecumbent, and with different lengths, several slightly longer than 0.75× pygophore length (lateral view), more numerous on ventral surface (Figs 29–36). Parameres: dark brown and black, symmetrical, elongated; right paramere broad basally, cylindrical both proximal and distally, rounded apically, apex with erect and slightly curved setae (~ 8) of different lengths, distal 1/2 with a dorsal seta decumbent and short; left paramere slightly warped from drying (Figs 29–36). Phallus: flat dorsoventrally. Articulatory apparatus (dorsal view): basal plate, in dorsal and lateral views, with subrounded arms and with 1/2 to 1/3 of the length in comparison of that of the phallus, inflected distally, basal plate bridge 0.58× as long as right arm of the articulatory apparatus (Figs 37–42). Dorsal phallothecal plate: elongated, weakly sclerotized, subrectangular in dorsal view, elongated posteriorly, slightly curved anteriorly, proximal part with punctures, distal part smooth, laminate and translucent, and with wrinkled margins; struts with subparallel arms slightly curved, joined distally (Figs 37–42). Endosoma: endosoma wall translucent, faintly rugous, slightly wrinkled apically. Three processes of endosoma: a large pale U-shaped to subrounded basal process formed by diffuse thickening; a median subspherical process lying between the lateral arms of the U-shaped basal process and formed by a grouping of small thickenings and a subdistal large darkened endosoma process formed by numerous small acute processes (Figs 37–42).

Neotropiconyttus armandoi sp. nov. is named in memory of Armando Gamboa Torres (1955–2007), father of the first and third authors herein. Armando was a primary and secondary school teacher who, every day after his long working hours, devoted his time to agriculture. As time went by, he gathered an important set of empirical knowledge of crops in traditional agroecosystems of the Amazon region, such as banana (Musa spp. - Musaceae), cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz - Euphorbiaceae), sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L. - Poaceae), and corn (Zea mays L. - Poaceae). Thereby, Armando ingrained his interest in agriculture throughout his life in all “his” kids.

Colombia (Caquetá).

Colombia, Caquetá, Morelia, Vda. Caldas, Fca. El Porvenir, 01°29'57"N, 75°44'03"W 272 m.

Brazil.

Myocoris dama Burmeister, 1838. Brazil: three female syntypes: [printed label] 2780 // [handwritten green label] Dama / N. // [handwritten green label] Parà [Pará] Sieber // [printed red label] Typus; [handwritten] 2780 // [handwritten] ^xNeotropiconyttus / dama (Burm.) / Paratypus ♀ // [handwritten green label] Para / Sieber // [printed red label] Paratypus; [handwritten] 2780 // [handwritten] ^xNeotropiconyttus / dama (Burm.) / Paratypus ♀ // [handwritten green label] Para / Sieber // [printed red label] Paratypus (MFNB).

Neotropiconyttus dama was described based on specimens from the State of Pará, Brazil (Burmeister 1838). In the MFNB, there are three female type specimens of N. dama. One specimen is labeled as “Typus” (Figs 43–45); the others are labeled as “Paratypus” (Figs 46–51). All of them are considered as syntypes in this work, following Art. 73.2 of the ICZN (1999). Notably, all the syntypes have a green label stating, besides the name of the Brazilian state of Pará, the name of “Sieber.” Friedrich Wilhelm Sieber was a servant and preparator of Johann Centurius Count von Hoffmannsegg, who obtained permission from the King of Portugal to visit Brazil to collect insects. Leaving Lisbon in 1801, Sieber went to the Province of Pará, where he stayed for 12 years, collecting not only in the vicinity of Belém but also in different areas of the provinces of Pará and Rio Negro (currently, state of Amazonas) (Papavero 1971). Therefore, the precise type locality of the species in this large region remains uncertain.

General length 12‒12.5 mm. General color blackish; labium with distal 1/2 of second and third visible labial segments variably paler; neck, prothorax, and mesothorax mostly reddish; humeral angles, posterior margins of mesopleura and mesosternum, and most of metapleura dark to blackish. Legs: except for fore coxae and a portion of fore trochanters, which are reddish, the remaining portions of the legs mostly dark to blackish; dorsal portion of distal ~ 2/3 of fore femora paler, and ill-defined pale yellowish annuli; middle and hind femora with submedian distal pale whitish to yellowish annuli; hemelytra darkened. Abdomen: sternites mostly yellowish with the following portions or markings blackish: narrowly basally on sternite II and adjacent connexival portion; on segments IV‒VII: connexivum and shortly adjacent portion, median markings of variable extension on respective sternites, and genitalia.