In 1981, Maldonado Capriles described Buninotus as a monotypic genus, designating B. niger as its type species. He outlined the following as the main characteristics of the genus: the body is mostly black, shiny, and predominantly glabrous; a subglobose posterior lobe on the head; only the first [visible] segment of the labium is spined; scutellum with a long inclined spine; mesoscutum with a short, broad, spinelike elevation. The fore coxa, femur, and tibia are spined, with the tibia curved. The forewing exhibits four closed cells.

Some characteristics recorded in Maldonado Capriles’s (1981: 404, 406) description of the genus being a female, deserves to be mentioned, such as: the “tylus” [clypeus] as “ending in a sharp spine that slightly surpasses [the] apex of [the] jugae. ... Legs: forecoxa with a strong “s-spine near base on anterior side, 3 strong s-spines on rear of inner face; trochanter with four s-spines along inner-lower surface, femur ... with 5 s-spines along upper surface ...; lower inner surface with 5 s-spines of nearly equal size ...; tibia strongly curved on lateral aspect ..., four long s-spines on inner side, the basal the shortest ...”

Castro-Huertas et al. (2023) stated that Buninotus could be characterized by the first and second visible labial segments with a pair of spiniform setae and strong setae, respectively; the anterior lobe of pronotum with four protuberances [“humps”], a pair on each anterior and posterior region. The humeral angles project into long spines; scutellum has a long and inclined process. The forelegs exhibit coxae, femora and tibiae with long spiniform setae; protibiae are curved. The meso and metafemora each have a pair of apically located spiniform setae. Additionally, the forewing is characterized by three closed cells.

Comments. Although the venation of the wings is considered excellent for taxonomic characteristics at the generic and tribal levels in Emesinae (Wygodzinsky 1966) and has been extensively used to diagnose and/or separate supra-specific taxa, potential intra-specific variation might happen (Gil-Santana and Marques 2005) such as in the intra-specific variation in the number of cells in the forewing of Mayemesa lapinhaensis (Wygodzinsky, 1950) (Emesini) (Gil-Santana et al. 1999).

In regard to the number of closed cells in the forewing, there is a discrepancy between Castro-Huertas et al. (2023) statement, noting three closed cells, and the description and figure by Maldonado Capriles (1981), which indicate four closed cells. Other authors, such as Gil-Santana et al. (2020), have adhered to the original description in their key for Saicinae genera. Castro-Huertas et al. (2023: 50) justified their observation by stating that they “examined an image of the holotype of B. niger, and it is very difficult to see the forewing vein structure without removing the forewings from the body because of the semi-hyaline to brown coloration. Using additional specimens of both B. niger and B. palikur,” they removed the forewings and found three closed cells in both species. However, it is possible that, due to the deep blackish coloration of the holotype of B. niger, the specimens examined by them as such may belong to a different species with a brownish general coloration (see below).

Examination of both the holotype and paratype of B. niger (Figs 6, 7, 14) confirms that the veins near the base of the forewing are not united, thereby not forming a closed basal cell. Consequently, the forewing has only three closed cells in all specimens of Buninotus examined, supporting the observations of Castro-Huertas et al. (2023).

Figures 6–8. 

Buninotus niger Maldonado Capriles, 1981, female holotype deposited in NMNH 6, 7 forewings, dorsal view 6 basal two thirds 7 basal third 8 labels. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (6, 7).

A striking characteristic of Buninotus described and illustrated by Maldonado Capriles (1981: fig. 7), but in need of confirmation, is a spine on the apex of the clypeus (“tylus”). This feature was not mentioned or questioned by Castro-Huertas et al. (2023) when discussing the characteristics of the genus. According to our observations, this spine is completely absent in both the holotype and paratype (Figs 2–4, 11). It is possible that the whitish apical portion of the labrum of the holotype of B. niger, which projects slightly forward (Figs 2–4), may have caused confusion for Maldonado Capriles when describing the specimen. Clearly, it is definitive that there is no apical sharp spine on the clypeus, as described by Maldonado Capriles (1981).

The presence of a pair of spiniform setae and strong setae on first and second visible labial segments, respectively, is confirmed in the holotype of B. niger (Fig. 3) and on a specimen of B. palikur from Brazil examined here (Fig. 17). In the paratype of B. niger the setae of the second visible labial segment is not visible (Fig. 11); they may have broken off, but it was not possible ascertain if the insertion hole of these setae are present or not because the head is covered by hyphae of mold (Figs 10–12).

Figures 9–15. 

Buninotus niger Maldonado Capriles, 1981, female paratype deposited in NMNH 9, 10 dorsal view 10, 11 head 11, 12 lateral view 11 except upper surface 12 head and anterior portion of thorax 13, 14 dorsal view 13 pronotum 14 basal half of forewings 15 labels. Scale bars: 2.0 mm (9); 1.0 mm (14) 0.5 mm (12); 0.2 mm (10, 11, 13).

Some portions of the type specimens and the specimen from Brazil are broken or missing, mainly on the legs, but, taking into account the remaining portions and the previous descriptions (Maldonado Capriles 1981; Castro-Huertas et al. 2023) and the examination of these specimens, the number and location of spiniform/strong setae of fore legs could be added to characterization of the genus in more detail as follows: fore coxae with a dorsobasal and three ventral spiniform setae; fore trochanters with four spiniform setae, midventrally; fore femora with two rows of five spiniform setae, one row on anterodorsal portion and other on anteroventral region; fore tibiae with four anterodorsal spiniform setae, the most basal being shorter than the following ones.

Brazil (new record), French Guiana and Panama.

Buninotus niger. Female holotype: [printed label:] Panama-Chiriqui / Fortuna, 1050 m. / 8 44'N;82 15'W, / [handwritten:] ?2 [printed:] - [handwritten:] July [printed:] -197 [handwritten:] 7 / Henk Wolda // [handwritten label:] Buninotus / niger [in red:] TYPE / 1978 Maldonado // [printed red label:] HOLOTYPE // [printed label:] [at left side:] USNM_ENT [at right side:] QR CODE / UCR_ENT 00008023; Female paratype: [printed label:] Panama-Chiriqui / Fortuna, 1050 m. / 8 44'N;82 15'W, / [handwritten:] 10 [printed:] - [handwritten:] Nov [printed:] -197 [handwritten:] 6 / Henk Wolda // [handwritten:] Buninotus / niger / Maldonado / [printed:] det. J. Maldonado C. [handwritten:] 81 // [printed label:] Drake Colln ex / J. Maldonado C. / Coll. 1996 // [printed red faded label:] PARATYPE // [printed label:] USNMENT / QR CODE / 01918179 (NMNH).

Maldonado Capriles (1981) described B. niger based on two females from Panama (Figs 1–7, 9–14). It seems like the definition of the species coloration was primarily based on the holotype, which is deep blackish and aligns with other details recorded by Maldonado Capriles (1981) (Figs 1–7). In contrast, the paratype exhibits a general pale-brownish coloration that does not match the aforementioned description (Figs 9–14).

Castro-Huertas (2023) examined four females of Buninotus from Panama, also identified them as B. niger, and noted a dark-brownish general coloration.

The holotype of B. niger exhibits a characteristic not observed in any other specimen of Buninotus so far: a deep blackish, piceous general coloration (Figs 1–6). In contrast, all other specimens of Buninotus display a general brownish coloration (Castro-Huertas et al. 2023; Figs 16–20), including the paratype of B. niger (Figs 9, 13). Additionally, the spiniform setae of the femur [only the left one was present when examined] are longer (Fig. 1) than those of the paratype (Fig. 9). Therefore, it is hypothesized here that the paratype of B. niger belongs to a different species than that of the holotype. In this case, the specimens identified by Castro-Huertas et al. (2023) as B. niger probably belong to this undescribed species. Finding more specimens, preferably including males, may help in confirming or disproving the hypothesis made here.

Figures 16–21. 

Buninotus palikur Castro-Huertas, Forero & Melo, 2022, female specimen from Brazil 16 dorsal view 17 anterior portion of head, prothorax and some portions of the legs, lateroventral view 18, 19 lateral view 18 anterior portion of prothorax 19 spine of mesoscutum and scutellum 20, 21 dorsal view 20 hind lobe of pronotum and forewings 21 left fore tibia. Scale bars: 3.0 mm (16); 1.0 mm (20) 0.5 mm (17, 19, 21); 0.2 mm (18).

Panama.

Brazil, Espírito Santo: Linhares, Reserva Natural Vale [Vale Natural Reserve] (RNV), 19°09'S, 40°04'W, José Simplício dos Santos leg., 25.i.2007, 1 female (MNRJ).

Buninotus palikur was described based on six females from French Guiana (Castro-Huertas et al. 2023). The female examined here (Figs 16–21), although has lost its antennae and hind legs (Fig. 16), corresponds well with the description and diagnosis of B. palikur provided by Castro-Huertas et al. (2023). Its general length measured 10.70 mm to the tip of the membrane; the protuberances of the fore lobe are slightly triangular (Figs 16, 18), and the forewings are brownish with pale spots (Figs 16, 20). Diverging from some characteristics recorded in the specimens described by Castro-Huertas et al. (2023), the prothorax is almost uniform brownish without paler portions, the scutellar spine is curved at approximately its middle portion on lateral view (Figs 16, 18, 19), and the first spiniform setae of fore tibiae are longer (Fig. 21). However, we consider these differences as more probably intraspecific differences. If merely interindividual or geographical variations, only future examination of more specimens would allow to clarify their significance.

Brazil (new record) and French Guiana.

There is a need to collect more specimens, including males of Buninotus, for a better understanding of the genus and its species, possibly allowing a more comprehensive study of the systematics of Saicini in general. Finding a specimen of B. palikur in a natural reserve in Atlantic Forest in Brazil expands the distribution of the species and the genus Buninotus to a broader range of biogreographical regions.