Peiratinae, Amyot & Serville, 1843

Swanson, Daniel R., 2019, Doomed to a vile lot: new taxa, notes, and an updated generic key for the Old World corsairs (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Peiratinae), Zootaxa 4700 (2), pp. 196-228 : 217-218

Key to the genera of Peiratinae of the Old World

1 Protibia strongly curved........................................................................ Phalantus

- Protibia essentially straight............................................................................ 2

2 (1’) Pro- and mesotibia dorsally flattened, carinate laterally; anterior pronotal lobe conspicuously wide, transverse, almost twice as wide as long............................................................................... Androclus

- Pro- and mesotibia more cylindrical, rarely carinate laterally, slightly recurved apically; anterior pronotal lobe less than 1.5 times wider than long, sometimes longer than wide......................................................... 3

3 (2’) Fossula spongiosa occupying distinctly more than half length of protibia........................................ 4

- Fossula spongiosa occupying at most half length of protibia.................................................. 7

4 (3) Anterior pronotal lobe sub-elliptical, with greatest width about half that of the posterior lobe; [known only from Malaysia].......................................................................................... Calistocoris

- Anterior pronotal lobe more than half width of posterior lobe................................................. 5

5 (4’) Eyes small, width less than half width of interocular space in dorsal view; [eastern and southern Africa]..... Pteromalestes

- Eyes large, width more than half width of interocular space in dorsal view, sometimes subequal to interocular space...... 6

6 (5’) Metacoxae relatively small, separated by distance greater than coxal diameter; Africa....................... Lamotteus

- Metacoxae usually larger, separated by less than coxal diameter; widely distributed in Old World............ Ectomocoris

7 (3’) Mesotibia lacking fossula spongiosa (except S. laevicollis [ Australia]); profemur compressed; anteocular region much longer than rest of head; [widely distributed in New & Old World]............................................ Sirthenea

- Fossula spongiosa present on mesotibia; profemur not compressed, thickened, cylindrical; anteocular region at most as long as rest of head...................................................................................... 8

8 (7’) Tylus with obliquely erect apical spine; connexiva with posterolateral angles prominent and acute; [New Guinea]................................................................................................ Ceratopirates

- Tylus unarmed; connexival margins more or less smooth or entire............................................. 9

9 (8’) Pronotum in part distinctly tuberculate.................................................................. 10

- Pronotum smooth or, at most, finely granulose............................................................ 12

10 (9) Dorsum of both pronotal lobes abundantly tuberculate and/or rugose; coloration overall dark; size large, length 20 mm or greater; India............................................................................... Catamiarus

- Pronotal tubercles limited to stripes on anterior pronotal lobe; coloration, in large part, red or orange; size smaller, length 15 mm or less; Madagascar............................................................................. 11

11 (10’) Male with eyes large and interocular distance small; profemur of male usually unicolorous; hemelytral membrane with pale patch basally; dorsal rim of parameres almost flat, not humped, with setae reaching paramere stems; size slightly larger, length 12–15 mm .................................................................................... Bekilya

- Male with eyes small and interocular distance large; profemur of male brownish suffused with white; hemelytral membrane unicolorous, infumate; dorsal rim of parameres humped, with setae restricted to medial half, not reaching paramere stem; size slightly smaller, length 8–11 mm ................................................................. Hovacoris

12 (9’) Protibia swollen near apex, fossula spongiosa reduced to brush of hairs occupying this swelling; [Africa]......... Rapites

- Protibia not abruptly swollen near apex, with distinct fossula spongiosa........................................ 13

13 (12’) Transverse sulcus of pronotum incomplete medially; scutellum regularly triangular, not produced apically; venation of hemelytral membrane with inner cell narrow, of similar width throughout length (reduviine type); known from Malawi]................................................................................................. Neopirates

- Transverse sulcus of pronotum complete; scutellum with apex prolonged or produced into spine or tooth (except Sphodrembas ); venation of hemelytra membrane with inner cell wide, gradually but conspicuously narrowing apically.......... 14

14 (13’) Protibia strongly and abruptly thickened and obliquely truncate at apex, fossula spongiosa occupying truncate margin... 15

- Protibia gradually thickened, not truncate, only slightly attenuated to apex, fossula spongiosa occupying apical area of ventral surface........................................................................................... 19

15 (14) Profemur unarmed ventrally.......................................................................... 16

- Profemur armed ventrally with teeth or conical tubercles (occasionally small and difficult to see).................... 17

16 (15) Neck without lateral tubercles; anterior pronotal lobe depressed; size smaller, length 6–10 mm; eastern continental Africa......................................................................................... Pachysandalus

- Neck with 1+1 lateral tubercles; anterior pronotal lobe convex, not noticeably depressed; size larger, length greater than 12 mm; Madagascar....................................................................... Pseudolestomerus

17 (15’) Third metatarsal segment much longer than previous two tarsomeres combined; Africa......................... Fusius

- Third metatarsal segment subequal to preceding two tarsomeres combined; widespread in Old World................ 18

18 (17’) Only profemur armed ventrally with distinct teeth, mesofemur with at most spine-like setae............. Brachysandalus

- Pro- and mesofemur armed ventrally with distinct teeth.............................................. Lestomerus

19 (14’) Width of head across eyes greater than head length; all three rostral segments subequal in length; [transverse sulcus of pronotum complete; size small, length 7–8 mm; Ivory Coast].............................................. Parapirates

- Head longer than width across eyes; second rostral segment conspicuously longer than either first or third............ 20

20 (19’) Posterior pronotal margin with angulate extensions on each side of scutellum, not smoothly convex; eyes of male small, removed from ventral margin of head by distance equal to their height in lateral view; profemur armed ventrally with many denticles; [size small, length 6–9 mm; distribution unknown]............................ … Chaulioleistes gen. nov.

- Posterior pronotal margin without extensions, smoothly convex; eyes of male large, separated from ventral margin of head by distance less than their height in lateral view; profemur unarmed ventrally...................................... 21

21 (20’) Anterior pronotal lobe strongly depressed, with strong midlongitudinal sulcus in posterior half; fossula spongiosa occupying slightly less than half of protibial length; size small, length 5–6 mm; [known from Sudan]............. Microcleptocoris

- Anterior pronotal lobe convex, without strong midlongitudinal sulcus (rarely sulcate in Peirates ); fossula spongiosa occupying approximately one-third or less of protibial length; size larger, length usually 8 mm or greater (except a few species of Peirates ).......................................................................................... 22

22 (21’) Metapleuron unicarinate; apex of scutellum rounded, not prolonged into spine or projection; metacoxae relatively small, separated by distance greater than coxal diameter; [lateral margins of postocular region smoothly rounded, not angulate, not conspicuously wider behind than before eyes; pedicel of male incrassate, at least as thick as scape; eastern Africa]........................................................................................ Sphodrembas gen. nov.

- Metapleuron bicarinate, two carinae parallel and closely attingent; apex of scutellum prolonged into apically rounded spine; metacoxae usually larger, separated by less than coxal diameter.............................................. 23

23 (22’) Head conspicuously triangular, base (postocular region) distinctly angulate, widest part behind eyes; pronotal collar lacking anterolateral tubercles; pedicel of male incrassate, at least as thick as scape; fossula spongiosa occupying less than one-fourth of protibial length; size large, length 18–20 mm; Australia......................................... Microsandalus

- Head more oval, lateral margins of postocular region smoothly rounded, not angulate, not conspicuously wider behind than before eyes; pronotal collar usually with distinct anterolateral tubercles; pedicel usually thinner than scape; fossula spongiosa occupying approximately one-third of protibial length; size small to medium, length 6–18 mm; widely distributed in the Old World, although not known from Australia.......................................................... Peirates