Paratagalis spinosus Monte, 1943

Gil-Santana, Hélcio R. & Costa, Luiz A. A., 2009, A new species of Paratagalis Monte from Brazil with taxonomical notes and a key to New World genera of Saicinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Saicinae), Zootaxa 2197, pp. 20-30 : 22

Paratagalis spinosus Monte, 1943

Paratagalis spinosus was described from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ( Monte 1943), and has also been recorded from Argentina ( Melo & Coscarón 2004) and Bolivia ( Gil-Santana 2008). The holotype of P. spinosus was deposited in the “Instituto de Experimentação Agrícola (I.E.E.A.)” in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ( Monte 1943; Zikán & Wygodzinsky 1948), a collection that does not exist anymore. This holotype was located in the Collection of the MNRJ. The male paratype mentioned by Monte (1943) as deposited in his personal collection was not found. Some important morphological details not mentioned by Monte (1943), such as the description of the male genitalia, are given below, along with other features now described in more detailed here.

Morphological remarks. (Figs. 1–26). Total length (in mm): 6.5 (two males) / 6.8 (one female) / 7.0 (three females) / 7.2 (one female and one male); antennal segments of the females (note: in the holotype, both antennae are absent): I: 2.4; II: 1.0; III: 1.4; IV: absent / I: 2.7; II: 1.2; III: 1.5; IV: 0.9 (two specimens, the fourth segment only in one of them) / I: 2.8; II: 1.2; III: 1.5; IV: 0.9/ I: 2.8; II: 1.2; III: 1.5; IV: 0.8. Male antennal segments (three specimens): I: 3.2; II: 1.4; III: 1.7; IV: absent / I: 3.1; II: 1.4; III: 1.7; IV: absent / I: 3.3; II: 1.3; III: 1.7; 0.8. The ratios of antennal segments, taking the first segment as one, are respectively: females: 1/0.42–0.44/0.53–0.58/0.32–0.33; males: 1/0.39–0.45/0.51–0.54/0.27. Head with conspicuous clypeal spine directed forward (Figs. 1–4); male antennal segment I and basal third of segment II with long, erect, ciliate hairs (Figs. 2, 5); male eyes larger than those of females (Figs. 1–4); hind pair of spines of fore lobe of pronotum shorter (Figs. 7–9) and very reduced in one female examined (Fig. 7). All femora black and spotted at the apex, with a well-developed pair of apical spines (Figs. 11–14). Forewings with two closed cells (Fig. 15); in resting position, shorter than abdomen, leaving genital segments exposed, as seen from above; last tergite with median spine in female (Figs. 16–17), absent in male (Figs. 18–19). Male genitalia (Figs. 19– 26): pygophore with transverse black fascia (Fig. 21); medial process short and blunt at the apex; when “in situ,” only the paramere apices evident (Figs. 20–21). Parameres symmetrical, slightly curved, with large apical teeth with a seta closely located, more developed than ones observed on apical and internal faces of apical third (Fig. 22). Phallus with articulatory apparatus short (Figs. 23, 25); endosome with moderately developed spinelike projections (Figs. 23–24); struts fused, enlarged at base (Fig. 26).

Material examined: BRAZIL, holotype female, Rio de Janeiro, Est. Rio-S. Paulo, Km 47 [actually, Km 07], I-1943, P. Vygodzinsky [sic] [leg.], Oscar Monte det. [ MNRJ]; BOLIVIA, 1 female, Reves, Beni, XII- 1956, Dirings [? leg.] [ MZSP]; BRAZIL, Bahia, 1 female, Rio de Contas, 05-XII-1976, ex- coll. J. Becker [ MNRJ]; Rio de Janeiro, Est. Rio-S. Paulo, Km 47 [actually, Km 07], 1 female, 1 male, same montage, 28-I- [1]951, 1 male, 6-II- [1]951, W. Zikán col. [leg.], 1 female, 1-III-1944, Wygod[zinsky] leg., JCM Carvalho det., 1990, [ MNRJ]; 1 female, Itaguaí [actually, Seropédica], Km 47 [actually, Km 07], U. R [actually, UFRRJ], 10-X-1958, R. P. Mello [leg.], [ MNRJ]; 1 male, Cabo Frio, 22° 40´S, 42° 00´W, 21-IV-1999, attracted by artificial light, H. Gil-Santana leg.