Saicini Stål, 1859

Castro-Huertas, Valentina & Melo, María Cecilia, 2025, Reassessment of the Saicini phylogeny and evolution of hairy attachment structures on tarsi (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 203 (1), pp. 1-20 : 11-17

Saicini Stål, 1859

Type genus: Saica Amyot and Serville, 1843 .

Revised diagnosis: With stout, simple or spiniform setae on the ventral margin of the mandibular plates and the postocular region, on the gula, and on all or some labial segments ventrally; second visible labial segment usually swollen; anterior lobe of pronotum with processes on anterior and posterior regions; metanotum with a protruding process apically; forewing with mcu-an1 crossvein with proximal to distal orientation, and M and CU not fused along the proximal portion of the wing; and presence of scopula on the preapical ventral region of all tarsi ( Castro-Huertas and Melo 2023, 2024, Standring et al. 2023). In addition, protibia usually curved; first tarsomere of the protarsus longer than the second; apex of paramere acute; and gonocoxa 8 nearly oval.

KEY TO THE GENERA OF SAICINI OF THE WORLD (Based on: Miller 1957, Elkins 1962, Malipatil and Howarth 1990, Rédei and Tsai 2010, Gil-Santana et al. 2020)

1. Head with strong simple setae, usually in a tuft, ventrally on mandibular plates and postocular region; profemur without spiniform setae, at most with strong erect setae, protibia with simple setae............................................... Saicina subtribe nov. 2

1’. Head with spiniform setae ventrally on mandibular plate, postocular and gular regions; profemur with two or three rows of spines, protibia either with simple setae or spiniform setae ......................................................................... Tagalina subtribe nov. 7

2. Neotropical and Nearctic distribution .......................................................................................................................................................3

2’. Palearctic, Afrotropical, Oriental, or Australasian distribution.............................................................................................................4

3. Pedicel approximately half as long as scape; medial process of male pygophore bifurcate; posterior margin of seventh abdominal sternite in females vertical or subvertical....................................................................................... Saica Amyot and Serville

3’. Pedicel approximately three-quarters as long as scape; medial process of male pygophore as a single, erect spine; posterior margin of seventh abdominal sternite in females sloping ventrocephalad............................................................ Pseudosaica Blinn

4. Pronotum with a long acute spine near each humeral angle; posterior medial process of pygophore as a hooked spine .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Polytoxus Costa

4’. Pronotum without spine or at most with a minute spine near each humeral angle; posterior medial process of pygophore different.............................................................................................................................................................................................................5

5. Metanotum with a spine apically and two club-like processes medially; paramere apically wide, spatulate Spairapeltis Miller

5’. Metanotum without medial processes; paramere different ...................................................................................................................6

6. Meso- and metanotal processes as short spines, humeral angles with very short spines or flat ................ Micropolytoxus Elkins

6’. Meso-and metanotal processes as very short tubercles, humeral angles always flat ........................................... Tolyxopus Villiers

7. Neotropical and Nearctic distribution .......................................................................................................................................................8

7’. Palearctic, Afrotropical, Oriental, or Australasian distribution.......................................................................................................... 14

8. Humeral angles of pronotum without processes, flat..............................................................................................................................9

8’. Humeral angles of pronotum with spine-like processes...................................................................................................................... 10

9. Protibia with a three or four ( T. femorata ) stronger spiniform setae on external border of inner dorsal surface ......................... .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... Tagalis Stål

9’. Protibia with a single or double longitudinal row of numerous short spiniform setae on median part of inner surface ..................................................................................................................................... Quasitagalis Gil-Santana, Oliveira and Zampaulo

10. Procoxae without spiniform setae; anterior pronotal lobe nearly flat............................................. Bagriella McAtee and Malloch

10’. Procoxae with spiniform setae, anterior pronotal lobe with four processes (spines or protuberances).................................... 11

11. Anterior lobe of pronotum with four spines .............................................................................................................. Paratagalis Monte

11’. Anterior lobe of pronotum with four protuberances ........................................................................................................................... 12

12. First visible labial segment with a pair of spiniform setae, second visible labial segment with a pair of strong setae .................. ...................................................................................................................................................................................... Buninotus Maldonado

12’. First and second visible labial segments with spiniform setae ........................................................................................................... 13

13. Third visible labial segment without strong setae; only apterous females known...................... Kiskeyana Weirauch and Forero

13’. Third visible labial segment with a pair of strong setae; macropterous females .... Caprilesia Gil-Santana, Marques and Costa

14. Clypeus armed with a short conspicuous spine................................................................................................... Gallobelgicus Distant

14’. Clypeus with a short tubercle or glabrous.............................................................................................................................................. 15

15. Clypeus with a short tubercle; anterior pronotal lobe nearly quadrangular ........................................................... Pristicoris Miller

15’. Clypeus flat; anterior pronotal lobe quadrangular or not. .................................................................................................................. 16

16. Anterior pronotal lobe longer than wide; posteromedial process of pygophore curved ................................ Vadonocoris Villiers

16’. Anterior pronotal lobe as long as wide, nearly quadrangular; posteromedial process of pygophore different as above ........ 17

17. Anterior pronotal lobe with conspicuous tubercles or spiniform processes anteriorly ................................................................ 18

17’. Anterior pronotal lobe without processes, nearly flat .......................................................................................................................... 19

18. Anterior pronotal lobe with short spines anteriorly......................................................................................... Madecassosaica Villiers

18’. Anterior pronotum lobe with a pair of tubercles anteriorly.................................................................................... Banarocoris Miller

19. Head with a short but distinct spiniform process behind each antennal insertion........................................ Exaeretosoma Elkins

19’. Head without spiniform processes behind antennal insertions......................................................................................................... 20

20. Humeral angles flat; paramere very long............................................................................................................... Villiersella Shouteden

20’. Humeral angles with conspicuous spiniform processes, paramere not conspicuously long........................................................ 21

21. First protarsal segment as long as second and third segments combined ........................................................... Cuernolestes Miller

21’. First protarsal segment longer than second and third segments combined .................................................................................... 22

22. Profemur with short and long spiniform setae ........................................................................................................ Panagrocoris Miller

22’. Profemur with only long spiniform setae ................................................................................................................ Choreutocoris Miller