Zelus puertoricensis Hart, 1987

Zhang, Guanyang, Hart, Elwood R & Weirauch, Christiane, 2016, A taxonomic monograph of the assassin bug genus Zelus Fabricius (Hemiptera: Reduviidae): 71 species based on 10,000 specimens, Biodiversity Data Journal 4, pp. 8150-8150 : 8150

Zelus puertoricensis Hart, 1987

Zelus puertoricensis Hart, 1987, p. 294, orig. descr., key and fig.; Maldonado, 1990, p. 330, cat.

Materials

Type status: Holotype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00057799 ; recordedBy: Unknown; sex: Adult Male; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; locality: Coamo Springs ; decimalLatitude: 18.07996; decimalLongitude: -66.35794; georeferenceSources: Google Earth; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1914-07-17 to 1914-07-19; Record Level: institutionCode: AMNH Type status: Allotype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00057798 ; recordedBy: Unknown; sex: Adult Female; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; locality: Coamo Springs ; decimalLatitude: 18.07996; decimalLongitude: -66.35794; georeferenceSources: Google Earth; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1914-07-17 to 1914-07-19; Record Level: institutionCode: AMNH Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00016144 ; recordedBy: V. Biaggi; sex: Adult Male; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; stateProvince: Jayuya; locality: Jayuya ; decimalLatitude: 18.2186; decimalLongitude: -66.5916; georeferenceSources: Gazetteer; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1934-12-01; Record Level: institutionCode: AMNH Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00009438 ; recordedBy: Unknown; sex: Adult Male; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; locality: Coamo Springs ; verbatimElevation: 126 m; decimalLatitude: 18.07996; decimalLongitude: -66.35794; georeferenceSources: Google Earth; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1914-07-17 to 1914-07-19; Record Level: institutionCode: USNM Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00009439 ; recordedBy: Unknown; sex: Adult Male; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; locality: Cidra ; decimalLatitude: 18.17778; decimalLongitude: -66.16167; georeferenceSources: GeoLocate Software; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1948-06-04; Record Level: institutionCode: USNM Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00009440 ; recordedBy: Unknown; sex: Adult Male; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; locality: Cidra ; decimalLatitude: 18.17778; decimalLongitude: -66.16167; georeferenceSources: GeoLocate Software; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1948-06-04; Record Level: institutionCode: USNM Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00009441 ; recordedBy: Unknown; sex: Adult Male; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; locality: Cidra ; decimalLatitude: 18.17778; decimalLongitude: -66.16167; georeferenceSources: GeoLocate Software; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1948-06-04; Record Level: institutionCode: USNM Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00015108 ; recordedBy: A. H. Manee; sex: Adult Female; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; locality: Arecibo ; decimalLatitude: 18.4744; decimalLongitude: -66.7161; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1915-05-10; Record Level: institutionCode: AMNH Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00016145 ; recordedBy: Unknown; sex: Adult Male; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; locality: Coamo Springs ; verbatimElevation: 126 m; decimalLatitude: 18.07996; decimalLongitude: -66.35794; georeferenceSources: Google Earth; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1914-07-17 to 1914-07-19; Record Level: institutionCode: AMNH Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00016146 ; recordedBy: Unknown; sex: Adult Female; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; locality: Coamo Springs ; verbatimElevation: 126 m; decimalLatitude: 18.07996; decimalLongitude: -66.35794; georeferenceSources: Google Earth; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1914-07-17 to 1914-07-19; Record Level: institutionCode: AMNH Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00016992 ; recordedBy: Unknown; sex: Adult Female; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; locality: Coamo Springs ; verbatimElevation: 126 m; decimalLatitude: 18.07996; decimalLongitude: -66.35794; georeferenceSources: Google Earth; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1914-07-17 to 1914-07-19; Record Level: institutionCode: AMNH Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00016993 ; recordedBy: Unknown; sex: Adult Female; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; locality: Coamo Springs ; verbatimElevation: 126 m; decimalLatitude: 18.07996; decimalLongitude: -66.35794; georeferenceSources: Google Earth; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1914-07-17 to 1914-07-19; Record Level: institutionCode: AMNH Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00016994 ; recordedBy: Unknown; sex: Adult Female; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; locality: Coamo Springs ; verbatimElevation: 126 m; decimalLatitude: 18.07996; decimalLongitude: -66.35794; georeferenceSources: Google Earth; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1914-07-17 to 1914-07-19; Record Level: institutionCode: AMNH Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00016995 ; recordedBy: Unknown; sex: Adult Female; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; locality: Coamo Springs ; verbatimElevation: 126 m; decimalLatitude: 18.07996; decimalLongitude: -66.35794; georeferenceSources: Google Earth; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1914-07-17 to 1914-07-19; Record Level: institutionCode: AMNH Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00016996 ; recordedBy: Unknown; sex: Adult Female; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; locality: Coamo Springs ; verbatimElevation: 126 m; decimalLatitude: 18.07996; decimalLongitude: -66.35794; georeferenceSources: Google Earth; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1914-07-17 to 1914-07-19; Record Level: institutionCode: AMNH Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00017655 ; recordedBy: Unknown; sex: Adult Male; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; locality: Coamo Springs ; verbatimElevation: 126 m; decimalLatitude: 18.07996; decimalLongitude: -66.35794; georeferenceSources: Google Earth; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1914-07-17 to 1914-07-19; Record Level: institutionCode: AMNH Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00009447 ; recordedBy: R. G. Oakley; sex: Adult Female; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; stateProvince: Penuelas; locality: Penuelas ; decimalLatitude: 18.05833; decimalLongitude: -66.72194; georeferenceSources: GeoLocate Software; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1932-09-08; Record Level: institutionCode: USNM Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00009437 ; recordedBy: M. D. Leonard; sex: Adult Male; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; stateProvince: San Juan; locality: Rio Piedras ; verbatimElevation: 29 m; decimalLatitude: 18.3994; decimalLongitude: -66.0503; georeferenceSources: Gazetteer; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1931-06-01; Record Level: institutionCode: USNM Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00009443 ; recordedBy: R.T. Cotton; sex: Adult Female; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; stateProvince: San Juan; locality: Rio Piedras ; verbatimElevation: 29 m; decimalLatitude: 18.3994; decimalLongitude: -66.0503; georeferenceSources: Gazetteer; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1916-07-29; Record Level: institutionCode: USNM Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00009444 ; recordedBy: R.T. Cotton; sex: Adult Female; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; stateProvince: San Juan; locality: Rio Piedras ; verbatimElevation: 29 m; decimalLatitude: 18.3994; decimalLongitude: -66.0503; georeferenceSources: Gazetteer; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1916-07-29; Record Level: institutionCode: USNM Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00009445 ; recordedBy: G. Bay; sex: Adult Female; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; stateProvince: San Juan; locality: San Juan ; decimalLatitude: 18.46633; decimalLongitude: -66.10573; georeferenceSources: Google Earth; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1926-03-29; Record Level: institutionCode: USNM Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00030178 ; occurrenceRemarks: Bears labels 'On Zea mayais', 'San Juan No 8357', and 'Lot No 42-11687'; recordedBy: Unknown; sex: Adult Male; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; stateProvince: San Juan; locality: San Juan ; decimalLatitude: 18.46633; decimalLongitude: -66.10573; georeferenceSources: Google Earth; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1942-09-16; Record Level: institutionCode: USNM Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00030179 ; occurrenceRemarks: Bears labels 'On Zea mayais', 'San Juan No 8357', and 'Lot No 42-11687'; recordedBy: Unknown; sex: Adult Female; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; stateProvince: San Juan; locality: San Juan ; decimalLatitude: 18.46633; decimalLongitude: -66.10573; georeferenceSources: Google Earth; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1942-09-16; Record Level: institutionCode: USNM Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: UCR_ENT 00009442 ; recordedBy: R.T. Cotton; sex: Adult Female; Taxon: scientificName: Zeluspuertoricensis; family: Reduviidae; genus: Zelus; scientificNameAuthorship: Hart, 1987; Location: country: PUERTO RICO; stateProvince: Vega Alta; locality: Vega Alta ; verbatimElevation: 100 m; decimalLatitude: 18.4122; decimalLongitude: -66.3313; georeferenceSources: Gazetteer; Identification: identifiedBy: G. Zhang; dateIdentified: 2012; Event: eventDate: 1917-01-26; Record Level: institutionCode: USNM

Description

Figs 164, 165, 166

Male: (Fig. 164a, b) Small, total length 10.22-11.74 mm (mean 11.20 mm, Suppl. material 2); very slender. COLORATION: Dorsal surfaces brown; corium reddish. Lateral surfaces yellowish-brown. Legs generally unicolorous, tibial apical portions reddish. VESTITURE: Anteocular lobe with recumbent and sparse, erect setae on entire surface; postocular lobe with recumbent setae, more dense dorsally, erect setae ventrally. Anterior pronotal lobe with recumbent setae, confined setal tracts dorsally, mixed with erect setae laterally; posterior pronotal lobe with short, inconspicuous, erect setae and recumbent setae. Abdomen with short to long, erect setae. STRUCTURE: Head: Cylindrical, L/W = 2.27. Postocular lobe moderately long; in dorsal view anteriorly gradually narrowing, posterior portion constant, slightly narrower. Eye smallish; lateral margin only slightly wider than postocular lobe; dorsal and ventral margins removed from surfaces of head. Labium: I: II: III = 1: 1.9: 0.5. Basiflagellomere diameter larger than that of pedicel. Thorax: Anterolateral angle with inconspicuous subtuberculate projection; medial longitudinal sulcus shallow near collar, deepening posteriorly. Posterior pronotal lobe with rugulose surface; disc distinctly elevated above humeral angle; humeral angle armed, with minute dentate projection. Scutellum long; apex angulate, not projected. Legs: Slender, femoral diameters subequal. Hemelytron: Slightly surpassing apex of abdomen, not more than length of abdominal segment seven; quadrate cell small, elongate; Cu and M of cubital cell subparallel. GENITALIA: (Fig. 165) Pygophore: Elongate; mid-lateral fold adjacent to paramere insertion; not expanded laterally in dorsal view. Medial process robust; short; posteriorly directed; nearly straight; apex in posterior view blunt, slightly folded posteriad. Paramere: Cylindrical; short, not reaching apex of medial process; directed posteriad; basally slightly constricted; not distinctly curved; apical part slightly enlarged. Phallus: Dorsal phallothecal sclerite elongated; apical portion of phallothecal sclerite gradually tapering, flat; apex rounded; posterior margin of foramen strongly inversely V-shaped. Struts attached to dorsal phallothecal sclerite; apically separate, connected by bridge; basally mostly separate, moderately fused. Basal plate arm robust; separate; diverging; in lateral view nearly straight, very slightly curved; bridge long; extension of basal plate small and confined to apex of basal plate arm.

Female: (Fig. 164c, d) Similar to male, except for the following. Larger than male, total length 12.03-14.33 mm (mean 13.20 mm, Suppl. material 2). Hemelytron very slightly surpassing apex of abdomen.

Diagnosis

The rather slender body form of Z. puertoricensis is characteristic of the Zelus puertoricensis species group (total length/width more than 8x). Both sexes of Z. puertoricensis have the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the postocular lobe nearly parallel through the anterior 2/3 of the lobe. This contrasts with the sloping configuration of the dorsal surface in Z. subimpressus .

Males can be recognized by the robust, posteriorly directed medial process, apex bent and the short, cylindrical paramere. This is smaller in Z. puertoricensis than in Z. subimpressus (Fig. 6). Additionally, the medial process of Z. puertoricensis appears to be longer and more delicate than that of Z. subimpressus . The dorsal phallothecal sclerite is much narrower than in Z. subimpressus .

Distribution

The Caribbean, islands of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola (Fig. 166). Countries with records: USA (Puerto Rico only) and Dominican Republic.