Sphodrolestes vittaticollis Stål, 1867

Gil-Santana, Hélcio R., 2022, New records, taxonomic notes, and the description of a new species of Harpactorinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) from French Guiana, Zootaxa 5105 (3), pp. 381-400 : 384-385

Sphodrolestes vittaticollis Stål, 1867

( Figs. 6–8 )

Stål (1867) described Sphodrolestes vittaticollis based on (a) female (s) from North Brazil (“Brasilia borealis”). Gil-Santana et al. (2003) and Forero et al. (2011) recorded the species to Bolivia and Ecuador, respectively. Gil- Santana et al. (2003) mentioned the general similarity in coloration between S. vittaticollis and Agriocoris flavipes (Fabricius, 1803) (Apiomerini) . Both species seem to be mimetic of stingless bees ( Hymenoptera : Apidae : Apinae: Meliponini), taking into account their general structure and particularly the vestiture and shape of the middle and hind tibiae ( Figs. 6–7 ), similarly to previous reports in relation to some species of Apiomerus ( Johnson 1983, Roubick 1989, Gonzales-Bustamante 1995). There is a variation in the coloration, including the extension and shape of the dark markings of pronotum ( Figs. 6–7 ; pers. observation). Sphodrolestes is monotypic, therefore S. vittaticollis is identified by the generic characteristics, such as the conspicuous spiniform tubercle in the gular region of the head ( Stål 1872, Gil-Santana et al. 2003, 2015) ( Fig. 8 ).

Distribution. Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, French Guiana (new record).

Material examined. FRENCH GUIANA, Bélizon , xi.1997, leg. H. Gaspard, 1 female, 1 male ( MNRJ) .

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Apiomerini species. 1–2, Apiomerus nitidicollis Stål, 1872, males, dorsal view, scale bar 5.0 mm, 1, the arrow points to the strongly curved apex of middle tibia; 3–5, Calliclopius nigripes (Linnaeus, 1767), males, dorsal view; 3–4, scale bar 5.0 mm; 5, head (most of the setae of the neck excluded), scale bar 1.0 mm; 6–8, Sphodrolestes vittaticollis Stål, 1867, 6–7, dorsal view, scale bar 5.0 mm; 6, female; 7–8, male, 8, head, lateral view, the arrow points to the spiniform tubercle in the gular region, scale bar 0.5 mm.