Assassin Bugs (Reduviidae Excluding Triatominae)

Abstract

Reduviidae is the largest family of predaceous terrestrial Heteroptera, with about 7,000 described species in 25 subfamilies, and is one of the three most speciose families within Hemiptera. A general overview on Neotropical members of this family is furnished, with an updated account on the taxonomy for each subfamily. Keys to genera of almost all subfamilies are presented.

A new species of Zeraikia Gil-Santana & Costa with taxonomic notes on Zeraikia novafriburguensis Gil-Santana & Costa (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Peiratinae)

“…The characteristics of Z. zeraikae sp. n. also corroborate placement of this species in Zeraikia in accordance with the definition of this genus by Gil-Santana and Costa (2003) and the diagnostic criteria of the keys furnished by Cai and Taylor (2006) and Gil-Santana et al (2015).…”

“…In this regard, it is worth mentioning that, in almost all studies on Neotropical Peiratinae (see Gil-Santana et al 2015 for an updated bibliography), the endosoma was not really or fully everted, which might have prevented a more detailed description of these structures.…”

“… Zeraikia Gil-Santana & Costa, 2003: 4 [key; description], 7 [discussion]; Forero 2004: 155 [diagnosis], 155–156 [comments], 187 [key]; Cai and Taylor 2006: 51 [citation], 54 [Key]; Gil-Santana et al 2015: 327 [key].…”

“… Zeraikia novafriburguensis Gil-Santana & Costa, 2003: 4, 7 [description], 5–6 [figures 1–10]; Forero 2004: 155–156 [citation]; Gil-Santana et al 2015: 326 [citation].…”

“…A summary of the taxonomic bibliography of this group in the Neotropical region and an updated key to the genera recorded there were furnished by Gil-Santana et al (2015).…”