Research Article |
Corresponding author: Jean Gamboa ( jagamboat@unal.edu.co ) Academic editor: Jader Oliveira
© 2024 Jean Gamboa, Hélcio R. Gil-Santana, Armando Gamboa-Tabares, Eidy Martínez-Viuche, Francisco Serna.
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:
Gamboa J, Gil-Santana HR, Gamboa-Tabares A, Martínez-Viuche E, Serna F (2024) A new species of Neotropiconyttus Kirkaldy (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) in a cacao plantation from the Colombian Napo Province, including a key to species, and taxonomic notes of the genus. ZooKeys 1207: 185-204. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1207.120663
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A new species of the genus Neotropiconyttus Kirkaldy, 1909 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae: Harpactorini) is described and illustrated. Neotropiconyttus armandoi Gamboa & Gil-Santana, sp. nov. represents the first record of the genus for the Province of Napo in Colombia, and the first description of a male individual in the genus. The male specimen representing the new species was collected on a leaf of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.-Malvaceae). Its remarkable similarity in external coloration and structure with that of the true bug Monalonion dissimulatum Distant, 1883 (Hemiptera: Miridae) inhabiting cacao agroforestry systems suggests that the new species could be part of a mimetic complex that incorporates phytophagous and predator bugs. Comments and figures of type specimens of Neotropiconyttus alboannulatus (Stål, 1855) and Neotropiconyttus dama (Burmeister, 1838), and a key to the species of the genus are also provided.
Assassin bugs, Graptocleptes, Heteroptera, Hiranetis, identification, Neotropical
In the Neotropics, the tribe Harpactorini of the subfamily Harpactorinae is the most diverse group within Reduviidae, with approximately 53 genera in the Neotropics (
On the other side,
Descriptions of N. dama and N. alboannulatus were based on color features alone, and those of N. heminigra on color, shape, and measurements of various anatomical structures (
General appearance and coloration make the species of assassin bugs belonging to Neotropiconyttus mimetic to the true bugs Monalonion spp. (Hemiptera: Miridae), as well as with wasps belonging to Ichneumonidae and Braconidae (Hymenoptera). Moreover, some species of Graptocleptes and Neotropiconyttus are highly similar in shape and color. As to the living habitats of Neotropiconyttus, no details are included in their species descriptions.
Seeking to recognize the natural insect enemies of Monalonion spp. and their corresponding natural biology in cacao (Theobroma cacao L., Malvaceae) plantations in Southeastern Colombia, the research project “Study of diversity, population dynamic and biotic potential of predators and parasitoids controlling true bugs of the genus Monalonion Herrich-Schäffer, 1850 in cacao plantations in the states of Huila and Caquetá, Florencia” was carried out. In this work, the first record of the genus Neotropiconyttus for the Napo province in Colombia and the description of a new species of the genus are included.
Besides describing Neotropiconyttus armandoi sp. nov. and improving the knowledge of the species of Neotropiconyttus, photographs deploying the diverse coloration of the syntypes of N. alboannulatus and N. dama, are provided. The female holotype of N. heminigra was not located in any collection. All information about the species is considered, following the original description by
In 251 farms with cacao plantations in the states of Huila and Caquetá, Colombia, 5,401 Reduviidae specimens were collected, of which only one specimen matched the description of the genus Neotropiconyttus. The single specimen was collected on a leaf of a T. cacao tree. The individual was collected employing an entomological net, then placed into a 30 ml plastic bottle containing ethyl alcohol 96% and transported to Laboratorio de Entomología Universidad de la Amazonia (LEUA) in Florencia (Caquetá, Colombia). Curatorship of the specimen, which was point-mounted, was carried out following the protocols established in the LEUA insect collection.
Images of a female syntype of Neotropiconyttus alboannulatus (Stål, 1855) (Figs
The identification of the specimen into the genus Neotropiconyttus was carried out employing the taxonomic keys proposed by
Images and measurements of the type-specimen of N. armandoi sp. nov. described in this work were taken using a LEICA M205A stereomicroscope (Figs
For the morphological description, an Olympus SZ51 stereomicroscope was utilized. The pygophore was extracted employing forceps and pins and placed into a NaOH 20% solution for 24 hours. Dissected structures were then studied immersed in glycerol. After all dissections and imaging of the male genitalia portions, they were placed into a microvial attached to the bottom of the specimen pin. General terminology follows
When describing label data, a slash (/) separates the lines, and a double slash (//) separates different labels. Comments or translations of label data into English are provided in square brackets ([]).
Subfamily Harpactorinae
Tribe Harpactorini
Neotropiconyttus
Kirkaldy, 1909: 388 [as a new name for Amaurosphodrus Stål, 1872];
[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.
Zelus alboannulatus Stål, 1855: 189 [description].
Amaurosphodrus albo-annulatus;
Zelus albo-annulatus
;
Neotropiconyttus alboannulatus;
Colombia.
Neotropiconyttus alboannulatus was described based on (a) female specimen (s) from Colombia (
Neotropiconyttus alboannulatus (Stål, 1855), syntype, female, deposited in
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.
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
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
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
Neotropiconyttus armandoi sp. nov., holotype, male 17 dorso-anterior view head 18 lateral view head 19 antenna 20 labium and ventral portion of head and, lateral view 21, 22 thorax 21 dorsal view, 22 lateral view 23–25 inner surface of apical portion of tibiae 23 fore tibia 24 middle tibia 25 hind tibia 26 posterior margin of pronotum scutellum and hemelytra 27 lateral view abdomen 28 ventral view abdomen 29–32 pygophore 29 dorsal view 30 lateral view, including the VII and posterior margin of VIII abdominal segments 31 ventral view 32 posterior view, including the dorsal portion of VII abdominal segment. Scale bars: 300 µm (23, 25, 29, 31); 400 µm (24); 500 µm (17, 20, 30, 32); 1.0 mm (18, 21, 22, 26–28); 2.0 mm (19).
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
Neotropiconyttus armandoi sp. nov., holotype, male genitalia 33–36 pygophore and parameres, general outline 33 dorsal view 34 lateral view 35 ventral view 36 posterior view 37–39 aedeagus 37 dorsal view 38 lateral view 39 ventral view 40–42 aedeagus with endosoma completely inflated 40 dorsal view 41 lateral view 42 ventral view. Scale bars: 0.3 mm (36); 0.2 mm (33–35, 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.
Myocoris dama
Burmeister, 1838: 105 [description];
Amaurosphodrus dama;
Neotropiconyttus dama;
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 (
Neotropiconyttus dama was described based on specimens from the State of Pará, Brazil (
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.
1 | Anterior lobe of pronotum orange with darker orange symmetrical spots (Fig. |
N. armandoi sp. nov. |
– | Anterior lobe of pronotum black or reddish (Figs |
2 |
2 | Posterior lobe of pronotum black and ivory white | N. heminigra |
– | Posterior lobe of pronotum entirely black or reddish with humeral angles dark to blackish (Figs |
3 |
3 | Pro- and mesothorax mostly reddish or orange, abdomen mostly yellow to pale whitish, segments IV‒VII with connexivum, large median dark markings on sternites, and genitalia blackish (Figs |
N. dama |
– | Thorax entirely black, abdomen entirely reddish at anterior ~ 1/2 and posteriorly blackish (Figs |
N. alboannulatus |
Neotropiconyttus, Myocoris, Xystonyttus, Graptocleptes, Hiranetis, Parahiranetis, and Quasigraptocleptes can be recognized by following the wasp-mimic Harpactorini key of
The three previously recognized species of Neotropiconyttus differ in coloration on the pronotum, mesosternum, mesopleuron, fore trochanter, hemelytron, and abdomen (
All species of Neotropiconyttus, including N. armandoi sp. nov., were described based on specimens from a single locality and few additional specimens were observed after the original descriptions (e.g., N. alboannulatum by
Neotropiconyttus armandoi sp. nov., habitat 52 geographical distribution of Neotropiconyttus species 53 cacao agroecosystem (type locality) 54 adjacent agroecosystems of Saccharum officinarum (Poaceae) and Brachiaria decumbens (Poaceae) 55 live fence with native trees and shrubs 56 Monalonion dissimulatum Distant, 1883, male habitus. Scale bar: 2.0 mm.
Neotropiconyttus armandoi sp. nov. is only known from the type locality in Morelia, Caquetá, Colombia, in the transition zone between Cordillera Oriental (eastern mountain range) and the Amazonian basin, corresponding to the Napo province of Colombia. The previous three recognized Neotropiconyttus species are recorded from localities in Brazil (Pará), Perú (Iscozacin), and Colombia (Remedios, Antioquia). Morelia, Pará, and Iscozacin correspond to localities in the provinces of Napo, Tapajós-Xingú, and Yungas, respectively, in the Amazonian subregion; and Remedios corresponds to the Magdalena province, in the Caribbean subregion (Fig.
The type locality of Neotropiconyttus armandoi sp. nov. is part of one of the ecoregions with the highest deforestation areas, in which the forest is felled and burned to establish introduced pastures for livestock. In this ecoregion, there is a prevailing need to recognize insect diversity, understand the impacts of anthropic activities on this biological group, and design and implement environmental conservation strategies.
The only known individual of the species was associated with an agroforestry system that includes trees and bushes, such as Theobroma cacao L. (Malvaceae), Eugenia stipitata McVaugh (Myrtaceae), and Musa paradisiaca L. (Musaceae), bordered by crops of Saccharum officinarum L. (Poaceae) and Brachiaria decumbens Cv. Basilisk (Poaceae) (Figs
The Neotropiconyttus armandoi sp. nov. individual was collected inside an agroforestry system, standing on a T. cacao tree leaf near the fruits of this crop, in which individuals of the true bugs of the genus Monalonion feed, with a predominance of the species Monalonion dissimulatum (Fig.
To Yennifer Carreño, Mauricio Parada, Juan Arcos, and Éric Córdoba for their support in taking photographs and preparing the images for publication. To Lizeht Gamboa for the administrative support during the execution of the Research Project. To the Supervision Support Group of the Research Project, including Juan Suárez, Karen Obregón, Paulo Murcia, Olga González, and Diego Vega. We also especially thank Gunvi Lindberg (
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
No ethical statement was reported.
We thank the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación) – MINCIENCIAS and the General Royalty System (Sistema General de Regalías) – SGR for funding the Research Project “Study of the diversity, population dynamic and biotic potential of predators and parasitoids that control true bugs of the genus Monalonion in cacao plantations of the states of Huila and Caquetá Florencia (estudio de la diversidad, dinámica poblacional y potencial biótico de depredadores y parasitoides controladores de chinches verdaderas del género Monalonion en plantaciones de cacao de los departamentos de Huila y Caquetá Florencia)” [code BPIN 2020000100513], approved by Agreement Number 100 of November 24, 2020, from which this study has derived.
Conceptualization: JG, HRG-S, FS. Data curation: JG, AG-T, EM-V. Investigation: JG, HRG-S, AG-T, EM-V, FS. Methodology: JG, HRG-S, AG-T, EM-V, FS. Project administration: JG. Writing - original draft: JG, HRG-S, FS. Writing - review and editing: JG, HRG-S, FS.
Jean Gamboa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8783-0175
Hélcio R. Gil-Santana https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0544-348X
Armando Gamboa-Tabares https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5777-8495
Eidy Martínez-Viuche https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6558-6482
Francisco Serna https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6143-9821
All of the data that support the findings of this study are available in the main text.