Castolus pallidus Maldonado, 1976

Forero, Dimitri & Mejía-Soto, Andrés, 2021, A striking sexually dimorphic new species of Castolus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera Reduviidae) from Colombia, with new records from Neotropical countries and taxonomic notes on the genus, Zootaxa 5048 (4), pp. 538-560 : 554

Castolus pallidus Maldonado, 1976

( Figs. 9B , 10B )

Remarks. Although no specimens from Colombia were examined, digital images from iNaturalist of two adult specimens were studied. Both specimens agree completely with the coloration pattern from specimens from Panama ( Fig. 9B ). Castolus pallidus is extremely similar to C. bolivari Brailovsky, 1982 ( Fig. 6B ), and the two apparently do not overlap in distribution. Both species have the postocular area of the head black, the basal area of the hemelytron black, a reddish scutellum, and the apex of the femora black. Castolus bolivari has a narrow black area dividing the anterior and posterior pronotal lobes, and a broad red area on the anterior half of the posterior lobe of the pronotum, whereas C. pallidus has a unicolor posterior lobe and no dark markings between the anterior or posterior lobes. In live specimens the posterior lobe of the pronotum in C. pallidus is pinkish. Because C. bolivari was described from a single female specimen ( Brailovsky 1982), study of the male genitalia of these two closely related species will help to better assess the species limits.

Distribution: This species was described from Panama with no further records from other countries ( Maldonado 1976). Examination of iNaturalist records show that this species is more widespread in Central America. This is a new species record from Costa Rica and Colombia ( Fig. 10B ).

Material examined. PARATYPE: PANAMA — [Colón] • 1 ♀; Coco Solo hospital, C.Z.; 8 May 1972; D. Engleman leg.; at light / Allotype (red label) / Castolus pallidus Maldonado 1976 ( USNM) .

OTHER EXAMINED MATERIAL (iNaturalist observations): COLOMBIA — Choco • 1 adult, sex unknown; Capurganá ; 08.6047°N, 77.3660°W; 28 Dec 2018; G. Bohne leg.; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/26793701 — Santander • 1 adult, sex unknown; El Carmen de Chucurí ; 06.6266°N, 73.5952°W; 27 Dec 2018, J.D. Quiroga leg.; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/19419256 . COSTA RICA — Alajuela • 1 adult, sex unknown; Pocosol ; 10.3832°N, 84.6169°W; 2 Aug 2019; T. Prothro leg.; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/30586791 .

Figures

FIGURE 6. Dorsal view of Castolus type specimens. A. holotype of Castolus bicolor Maldonado, 1976 (synonym of C. nigriventris Breddin, 1904); B. holotype of C. bolivari Brailovsky, 1982; C. holotype labels of C. bicolor Maldonado, 1976.

FIGURE 9. Images of species of Castolus present in Colombia. A. C. lineatus Maldonado, 1976 (Colombia; photo L.M. Constantino); B. C. pallidus Maldonado, 1976 (Panama; photo A. Anker); C. C. multicinctus Stål, 1872, dorsal and lateral views (Cundinamarca, Colombia); D. C. plagiaticollis Stål, 1858 (Mexico; photo C.G. Velazco-Macias); E. C. rufomarginatus Champion, 1899 (Costa Rica; photo G. Kunz); F–G. Castolus sp. (Medellín, Colombia; photos J.C. Fernández and R. Sánchez).

FIGURE 10. Distribution map of Castolus species based on data from examined specimens and iNaturalist observations. A. C. multicintus Stål, 1872; B. C. pallidus Maldonado, 1976; C. C. plagiaticollis Stål, 1858; D. C. rufomarginatus Champion, 1899.