Montandoniola confusa Streito & Matocq, 2009

Matsunaga, Janis N., Howarth, Francis G. & Kumashiro, Bernarr R., 2019, New State Records and Additions to the Alien Terrestrial Arthropod Fauna in the Hawaiian Islands, Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 51 (1), pp. 1-71 : 7

Montandoniola confusa Streito & Matocq

The predaceous anthocorid bug, under the name Montandoniola moraguesi (Puton) , was introduced into Hawaii from the Philippines in 1964 for the biological control of the Cuban laurel thrips ( Gynaikothrips ficorum ). According to Pluot-Sigwalt et al. (2009), M. moraguesi had been misidentified for over 45 years. Species in the genus Montandoniola are easily confused, as it is difficult to separate them by external morphology alone. Genitalia dissections are necessary to identify key diagnostic features. Pluot-Sigwalt et al. (2009) examined the genitalia of type specimens from various parts of the world and concluded that three cryptic species have been confused under the species name Montandoniola moraguesi . As a result, Pluot-Sigwalt et al. (2009) determined that M. moraguesi appears restricted to the Mediterranean region and Africa. M. thripodes and M. pictipennis are known from Hong-Kong and Japan, respectively.

Montandoniola confusa Streito & Matocq , described as a new species in Pluot-Sigwalt et al.’s review (2009), was discovered in Guadeloupe, and is found in Florida, Bermuda, Australia ( Pluot-Sigwalt et al. 2009) , Mexico ( Cambero-Campos et al. 2010), Brazil ( Tavares et al. 2013), and presumably Philippines where the Hawaiian introduction originated. Historical specimens from Hawaii were examined in this study and determined to be M. confusa and not M. moraguesi .

Prior to the 2009 study there was confusion over another name: Macrotrachelia thripiformis Champion, 1901 , which has been used for two different species in Hawaiian literature. Lattin (2005) reviewed the literature and examined specimens from Bishop Museum. He concluded that the name Macrotrachelia thripiformis , listed by Nishida (2002) very likely refers to Montandoniola moraguesi (now M. confusa ).

In addition, the 1965 introduction of what was then reported as “ Macrotrachelia thripiformis ( Davis & Chong 1966) ” to Hawaii from Mexico was misidentified. Lattin (2005) identified a series of voucher specimens from the 1965 Mexico population release as Macrotrachelia nigronitens (Stal 1860) .

No field established collections of M. nigronitens (= M. thripiformis ) are known, and this species appears not to have established in Hawaii. However, as noted by Lattin (2005), anthocorids are tiny and easily missed in surveys.