A taxonomic monograph of the assassin bug genus Zelus Fabricius (Hemiptera: Reduviidae): 71 species based on 10,000 specimens

Abstract

The New World assassin bug genus Zelus Fabricius, 1803 (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae: Harpactorini) is revised based on more than 10,000 specimens. Seventy-one species are recognized and twenty-four described as new: Zelus aithaleos sp. n., Zelus amblycephalus sp. n., Zelus antiguensis sp. n., Zelus auralanus sp. n., Zelus bahiaensis sp. n., Zelus banksi sp. n., Zelus casii sp. n., Zelus championi sp. n., Zelus cordazulus sp. n., Zelus fuliginatus sp. n., Zelus gilboventris sp. n., Zelus gracilipes sp. n., Zelus grandoculus sp. n., Zelus kartaboides sp. n., Zelus lewisi sp. n., Zelus panamensis sp. n., Zelus paracephalus sp. n., Zelus rosulentus sp. n., Zelus russulumus sp. n., Zelus spatulosus sp. n., Zelus truxali sp. n., Zelus umbraculoides sp. n., Zelus umbraculus sp. n., and Zelus xouthos sp. n. Five species, Zelus araneiformis Haviland, 1931, Zelus gradarius Bergroth, 1905, Zelus modestus (Stål, 1862), Zelus subfasciatus Stål, 1860 and Zelus vittaticeps Stål, 1866, are removed from Zelus and placed incertae sedis within Harpactorini. Nine new synonyms are recognized (senior synonym in parentheses): Zelus atripes Champion, 1898 syn. nov. (=Zelus conjungens [Stål, 1860]), Zelus dispar Fabricius, 1803 syn. nov. (=Zelus pedestris Fabricius, 1803), Zelus formosus Haviland, 1931 syn. nov. (=Zelus laticornis Herrich-Schaeffer, 1853), Zelus obscuridorsis (Stål, 1860) syn. nov. (=Zelus pedestris), Zelus pallidinervus Haviland, 1931 syn. nov. (=Zelus kartabensis Haviland, 1931), Zelus personatus Berg, 1879 syn. nov. (=Zelus versicolor Herrich-Schaeffer, 1848), Zelus trimaculatus Champion, 1898 syn. nov. (=Zelus means Fabricius, 1803), Zelus trimaculicollis (Stål, 1855) syn. nov. (=Zelus means), and Zelus tristis Haviland, 1931 syn. nov. (=Zelus laticornis). Zelus conjungens (Stål, 1860) stat. rev. Is resurrected from junior synonymy with zealous armillatus (Lepeletier & Seville, 1825). Zelus ambulans Stål, 1862 stat. rev. and Zelus cognatus (Costa, 1862) stat. rev. are resurrected from synonymy with Zelus exsanguis Stål, 1862. Iquitozelus Bérenger syn. nov. is synonymized with Zelus and its only species transferred to Zelus, hence resulting in a new combination, Zelus couturieri (Bérenger, 2003) comb. nov. Lectotypes, paralectotypes or neotypes are designated for a number of species. Habitus images, illustrations of male genitalia, distribution maps and measurements are provided for nearly all species. The three previously recognized subgenera of Zelus are found to be based upon superficial characters and these divisions do not reflect natural groupings. Using sets of characters, especially those of the male genitalia, eleven species groups are proposed. It is also hypothesized that Zelus is closely related to three other New World genera: Atopozelus Elkins, Ischnoclopius Stål and an undescribed genus "Hartzelus" [manuscript name]. Zelus is endemic to the New World, occurring naturally in the Caribbean and all but one of the continental countries, with introductions to Pacific islands, E...

First description of the male and redescription of the female of Parahiranetis salgadoi Gil-Santana (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Harpactorinae)

“…The latter has been considered to be among the diagnostic features at generic level (Stål 1872, Champion 1899, Martin-Park et al 2012, Gil-Santana et al 2013, Gil-Santana 2016). However, sexual dimorphism may also be limited to minor differences in coloration and size, as in many species of Zelus (Zhang et al 2016). …”

“…Elkins 1954a,b, Hart 1975, 1986, 1987, Forero et al 2008, Zhang et al 2016). The parameres, medial process of the pygophore, dorsal phallothecal plates, and the struts were the main structures with attributes important at the specific level in studies of Aristathlus Bergroth, 1913 (Forero et al 2008), Atopozelus Elkins, 1954 (Elkins 1954a), Atrachelus Amyot & Serville, 1843 (Elkins 1954b), Ischnoclopius Stål, 1868 (Hart 1975) and Zelus (Hart 1986, 1987, Zhang et al 2016). The endosoma contents, such as its processes, were not examined or recorded in most of these studies.…”

To increase trust, change the social design behind aggregated biodiversity data

“…The example of the monograph of Zelus Fabricius, 1803 sec. Zhang et al (86) illustrates how the current power structure can operate. This publication accommodates 71 species-level concepts, including 24 new species names and numerous other taxonomic and nomenclatural changes.…”

“…Zhang et al (86) was published in early July, 2016. Later that month, the records were aggregated in GBIF as well.…”

Transfer of the assassin bug Helonotus pallidulus Walker to the genus Heza Amyot & Serville (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Reduviidae, Harpactorinae, Harpactorini)

“…Harpactorini is the most diverse Reduviidae tribe with 53 recognized genera in the Neotropical region (Forero et al 2008, McPherson and Ahmad 2011, Forero 2011, 2012, Swanson 2012, Gil-Santana 2015, Gil-Santana et al 2015, Zhang et al 2016, Lapischies et al 2019). The only key to separate the genera is by Stål (1872), now badly out of date (Forero 2011).…”