Bittacus pintoi Souza Lopes & Mangabeira, 1942

Machado, Renato Jose Pires, Mendes, Diego Matheus De Mello & Rafael, José Albertino, 2018, The genus Bittacus Latreille (Insecta: Mecoptera) in Brazil: key to species, distribution maps, new synonym, and three new species, Zootaxa 4526 (3), pp. 303-330 : 321

Bittacus pintoi Souza Lopes & Mangabeira, 1942

( Figs. 8p , 12d )

Bittacus pintoi: Souza Lopes & Mangabeira, 1942:332 ; Penny & Byers, 1979b:369; Machado et al., 2009:36; Dias & Kumagai, 2011:34; Machado, 2018. Thyridates pintoi: Willmann, 1983:52 ; Collucci & Amorim, 2000:7.

Holotype. Male: MNRJ (examined). Probably destroyed in the fire of 2.ix.2018. Species also known from: Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso (new record), Tocantins (new record) ( Fig. 12d ).

Bittacus pintoi seems to be a very common species in Minas Gerais state, based on the large number of specimens reported in different studies, including this paper ( Souza Lopes & Mangabeira 1942; Machado et al. 2009; Dias & Kumagai 2011). The adults of B. pintoi also have a flight preference for the rainy months, as demonstrated by Dias & Kumagai (2011), who collected samples of Malaise trap samples monthly for years, resulting in a large number of specimens all captured between October and January (rainy months). The specimens reported here were also collected during the rainy seasons for their respective areas.

Examined specimens. Brazil: Minas Gerais: Encruzilhada , 15 0 34’35’’S–40 0 56’51’’W, 15.xii. 2012, 850m, JA Rafael, EJ Grossi, luz (5♂ INPA) ; Mato Grosso: Barra do Tapirapé , xi.1964, B. Malkin (1♂, 5♀ MZSP) ; Idem 13– 16.i.1966 (1♀ MZSP) ; Tocantins: Miracema , P21 E malaise, 29.x.2001, equipe de resgate UHE lajeado (1♂, 3♀ CEUFT); idem—P28 E malaise, 5.xi.2001 (1♀ CEUFT) ; Palmas , P28 D malaise, 10.xii.2001, equipe de resgate UHE lajeado (5♀ CEUFT) .

Figures

FIGURE 8. Brazilian Bittacus male epandria, dorsal view. a) B. angrensis; b) B. aripuanensis; c) B. blancheti; d) B. boraceiensis; e) B. brasiliensis; f) B. cruzi sp. n.; g) B. diversinervis; h) B. femoralis; i) B. ferreirai sp. n.; j) B. flavescens; k) B. froehlichi; l) B. genicutalus; m) B. latreillei; n) B. maculosus; o) B. omega; p) B. pintoi; q) B. varzeanus sp. n.

FIGURE 12. Distribution records of Bittacus species in Brazil. a) B. angrensis, B. aripuanensis, B. blancheti, B. brasiliensis, B. brunipennis; b) B. boraceiensis, B. cruzi sp. n., B. diversinervis, B. femoralis; c) B. ferreirai sp. n., B. flavescens, B. froehlichi, B. latreillei; d) B. maculosus, B. omega, B. pintoi, B. varzeanus sp. n. Bittacus geniculatus is not represented because of its imprecise location.