Saica, AMYOT & SERVILLE, 1843

María, Valentina Castro-Huertas & Melo, María Cecilia, 2024, Saica Amyot & Serville, 1843 (Reduviidae, Emesinae, Saicini): taxonomic revision and phylogenetic analysis with morphological characters, Zoosystema 46 (32), pp. 813-845 : 820

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5252/zoosystema2024v46a32
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DED2FACC-4128-49BB-A017-220D0ED10888
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14542381
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03BDF73D-910D-021A-19C2-FF0EFAFFF809
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Saica
status

Treatment

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF SAICA AMYOT & SERVILLE, 1843 View in CoL EXCEPT FOR SAICA CRUENTATA BERGROTH, 1913 View in CoL (ADAPTED FROM CHAMPION 1898 & MCATEE & MALLOCH 1923)

1. Macropterous ............................................................................................................................................... 2

— Micropterous (female) .................................................................................................. S. elkinsi Blinn, 1994 View in CoL

2. Forewing with three closed discal cells ( Fig. 1D View FIG ) .......................................................................................... 3

— Forewing with two closed discal cells ( Fig. 1C View FIG ) ............................................................................................ 4

3. Posterolateral margins of abdominal segment 7 of female with spiniform caudal projections ( Fig. 3E View FIG ) ............ .......................................................................................................... S. meridionalis Fracker & Bruner, 1924 View in CoL

— Posterolateral margins of abdominal segment 7 of female flat .................... S. apicalis Osborn & Drake, 1915 View in CoL

4. Humeral angle spines nearly three times (or more) longer than the width of their base ................................ 5

— Humeral angle spines as long as the width of their base ………............................ S. subinermis Hussey, 1953 View in CoL

5. Body coloration pale brown to yellowish ( Figs 2 View FIG I-L), apex of outer discal cell usually shorter than pterostigma, abdomen slender and narrow basally ............................................................... S. erubescens Champion, 1898 View in CoL

— Body coloration different, apex of outer discal cell extending as far as apex of pterostigma, abdomen less slender and not narrowed basally (except in S. lativentris View in CoL ) ........................................................................................ 6

6. Body coloration ochraceous to brown, membrane of forewing usually dark, posteromedial process of pygophore not elevated and medially concave ................................................................................................................ 7

— Body coloration reddish, with some parts darker or paler but mostly red, membrane of forewing concolorous, posteromedial process of pygophore variable ................................................................................................. 8

7. Thorax ochraceous, anterior portion of posterior lobe and lateral margins of pronotum dark brown, legs uniformly dark brown except protibiae and protarsi orange ( Fig. 3H View FIG ), ramus of posteromedial process of pygophore of the same width along its length ( Fig. 5E View FIG ) ........................................................... S. ochracea Distant, 1902 View in CoL

— Thorax entirely dark brown, legs uniformly reddish except tibiae and tarsi yellowish ( Fig. 4 View FIG G-H), ramus of the posteromedial process of pygophore tapering apically ( Fig. 5J View FIG ) ......................................... S. tupackatari n. sp.

8. Posterior process of scutellum with apex entire, semicircular in caudal view ................. S. elkinsi Blinn, 1994 View in CoL

— Posterior process of scutellum with apex conspicuously emarginated ( Fig. 1I View FIG ) .............................................. 9

9. Posterior process of scutellum inverted scoop-shaped, and deeply emarginated ( Fig. 1I View FIG ) ............................ 10

— Posterior process of scutellum more or less arcuate laterally and notched but not conspicuously expanded ( Fig. 1H View FIG ).................................................................................................................................................... 11

10. Pro- and mesonotal spines with the apex yellowish, legs uniformly reddish brown, metanotal spine near as long as the width of its base; posterolateral margins of ramus (pmr) with a pair of conspicuous tubercles ( Fig. 5G View FIG ) .......................................................................................................................... S. rubripes Champion, 1898 View in CoL

— Pro- and mesonotal spines with the apex reddish, legs uniformly reddish, metanotal spine nearly three times longer than the width of its base, posterolateral margin of ramus flat, without processes ( Fig. 5B View FIG ) .................. ................................................................................................................................ S. carayoni Villiers, 1943 View in CoL

11. Body coloration pale red, coxae, trochanters and tibiae (except basally), antennae, and forewings paler ( Figs 4 View FIG IL); posteromedial process of pygophore medially forming an obtuse angle and ramus directed more laterad than upwards ( Fig. 5I View FIG ) ............................................................................................................. S. tibialis Stål, 1862 View in CoL

— Body coloration not as above, posteromedial process of pygophore medially concave and ramus different as above ......................................................................................................................................................... 12

12. Body coloration dark red; antennae, medial and apical region of femora, tibiae, and forewings dark brown with the pterostigma reddish .................................................................................................. S. fuscipes Stål, 1862 View in CoL

— Body coloration red or pale red, forewings yellowish or paler .................................................................... 13

13. Body coloration pale reddish, pronotal spines usually with the apex reddish or brownish, veins of forewings yellowish, femora uniformly brownish ( Figs 3 View FIG I-L), posterior margins of ramus (pmr) with a pair of short blunt tubercles, posteromedial process of pygophore deeply concave medially ( Fig. 5F View FIG ), and nearly vertical in lateral view ( Fig. 5N View FIG ) ................................................................................................... S. recurvata ( Fabricius, 1803) View in CoL

— Body coloration red, pronotal spines usually with the apex yellowish, veins of the forewing basally reddish, femora uniformly reddish ( Fig. 3C View FIG ), posterior margins of ramus flat, posteromedial process of pygophore angulated medially ( Fig. 5D View FIG ), at 45° position in lateral view ( Fig. 5M View FIG )................................... S. lativentris Villiers, 1943 View in CoL