First record of Zelus armillatus (Lepeletier & Serville, 1825) in Costa Rica, with notes on taxonomic problems regarding the genus Zelus Fabricius, 1803 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae: Harpactorini)

Abstract

New records of different morphs of Zelus armillatus (Lepeletier & Serville, 1825) in Costa Rica are reported. Additional information about the biology, the ecology and the distribution of this species is also given. Taxonomic problems regarding the genus Zelus Fabricius, 1803 are discussed. This is the twelfth part of a series of publications about different Heteroptera in Costa Rica.

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ISSN: 1989-6581
van der Heyden et al. (2014)
ARQUIVOS ENTOMOLÓXICOS, 12: 85-90
85
NOTA / NOTE
First record of Zelus armillatus (Lepeletier & Serville, 1825) in
Costa Rica, with notes on taxonomic problems regarding the
genus Zelus Fabricius, 1803 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera:
Reduviidae: Harpactorinae: Harpactorini).
Torsten van der Heyden 1, Ignacio Gamboa Hidalgo 2 & Hélcio R. Gil-Santana 3
1 Immenweide 83, D-22523 Hamburg, Germany. e-mail: tmvdh@web.de
2 150 metros al norte de la Escuela Alejandro Rodríguez, CR-10603 Vuelta de Jorco, Aserrí, Costa Rica.
e-mail: vi_ig13@hotmail.com
3 Laboratório de Diptera, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365, Manguinhos, BR-21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
e-mail: helciogil@uol.com.br
Abstract: New records of different morphs of Zelus armillatus (Lepeletier & Serville, 1825) in Costa Rica are reported.
Additional information about the biology, the ecology and the distribution of this species is also given. Taxonomic
problems regarding the genus Zelus Fabricius, 1803 are discussed. This is the twelfth part of a series of publications
about different Heteroptera in Costa Rica.
Key words: Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Reduviidae, Harpactorinae, Harpactorini, Zelus armillatus, Zelus conjungens, first
record, Costa Rica.
Resumen: Primera cita de Zelus armillatus (Lepeletier & Serville, 1825) en Costa Rica, con notas sobre problemas
taxonómicos relativos al género Zelus Fabricius, 1803 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae:
Harpactorini). Se citan por primera vez diferentes formas de Zelus armillatus (Lepeletier & Serville, 1825) en Costa
Rica. Se aporta también información adicional sobre la biología, la ecología y la distribución de esta especie. Se discuten
problemas taxonómicos relativos al género Zelus Fabricius, 1803. Esta es la duodécima parte de una serie de
publicaciones sobre diferentes heterópteros en Costa Rica.
Palabras clave: Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Reduviidae, Harpactorinae, Harpactorini, Zelus armillatus, Zelus conjungens,
primera cita, Costa Rica.
Recibido: 5 de agosto de 2014 Publicado on-line: 24 de agosto de 2014
Aceptado: 11 de agosto de 2014
Introduction
Reduviidae is the second largest family of true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) and almost all its
members are predators on insects or other arthropods (Schuh & Slater, 1995), with Harpactorini as the
most diversified group in this family in the Neotropical region (Gil-Santana & Forero, 2009). Members
of Harpactorini are commonly associated with plant crops and some have been studied as biological
control agents of crop pests (Grundy & Maelzer, 2003; Grundy, 2007). Several observations show that
certain Harpactorini may be associated with particular plants (Bérenger & Pluot-Sigwalt, 1997). These
polyphagous predators often live on a single plant species, not only as adults, but sometimes also as eggs
and immature instars. While seeking prey, some Harpactorini apparently found certain plants to have
other advantages and became adapted to visiting these plants species exclusively. In addition to hosting

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the arthropod prey species the assassin bugs feed on, these plants provide additional resources, such as
sugary or proteinaceous secretions produced in extrafloral nectaries or other structures (Bérenger &
Pluot-Sigwalt, 1997; Gil-Santana & Alves, 2011).
Notes on the genus Zelus Fabricius, 1803
In Brazil, while Habib (1976) noted that several cultivated tree species seem to be inhabited by
Zelus leucogrammus (Perty, 1834), Gil-Santana & Alves (2011) observed an association between Zelus
versicolor (Herrich-Schäffer, 1848) and Bidens rubifolia (Asteraceae). In French Guiana, Bérenger &
Pluot-Sigwalt (1997) observed that Zelus araneiformis Haviland, 1931 may complete its postembryonic
development feeding exclusively on glandular formations of Cecropia obtusa (Cecropiaceae).
Although Zelus armillatus (Lepeletier & Serville, 1825) has been considered as a common species
in Brazil (Costa Lima, 1940), data on the biology of this species are scarce. Z. armillatus was found on
trees of Caryocar brasiliense (Caryocaraceae) in Brazilian savanna (Leite et al., 2012a, 2012b) and as a
predator of Thyrinteina arnobia arnobia (Stoll, 1782) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) on Eucalyptus sp.
(Myrtaceae) trees, in Brazil too (Barreto & Mojena, 2014).
Colouration has traditionally been used to separate and identify species in Harpactorini.
However, because some species may show extreme colour variation among individuals, they have been
considered as separate species, as several species of Zelus, which currently include various junior
synonyms, described first as separate taxa (Hart, 1986; Gil-Santana, 2008). Morphological characters,
in particular male and female genitalia, have been shown to be more useful than colouration to delimit
these taxa (e.g., Hart, 1972, 1986). Therefore, colour variation should be documented, coupled with
morphological characters to avoid future confusions (Gil-Santana & Forero, 2009). If this
documentation could be done with living specimens, it would contribute to a better knowledge of the
real colouration of a given species. Many colours are lost or changed in preserved specimens, including
harpactorines.
As Z. armillatus is also a species with a great range of variation in colour, several colour morphs
were described as separate species and are currently included as its junior synonyms (Mayr, 1868; Berg,
1879; Maldonado Capriles, 1990). Among these numerous synonyms, Zelus conjungens (Stål, 1860) has
been considered as valid in two doctoral theses (Hart, 1972; Zhang, 2012). So, if this statement is
formally presented in the future or further studies can find acceptable morphological or other
(molecular, biological, ecological) features, then this last taxon would stand as a different taxon. If not,
the synonym must remain.
Z. armillatus was described based on female specimens from Brazil (Le Peletier de Saint-
Fargeau & Serville, 1825), with further records from Argentina (Berg, 1879; Melo et al., 2004),
Paraguay (Lethierry & Severin, 1896) and Bolivia (Maldonado Capriles, 1990).
Z. armillatus (Lepeletier & Serville, 1825) in Costa Rica
Recently, the second author was able to find and photograph adults of Z. armillatus with
different colouration in Costa Rica. The site of the findings is located in Vuelta de Jorco, county of
Aserrí in the province of San José, about 1100 m above sea level. The specimens were found at a
plantation of Zea mays (Poaceae), which was mixed with other cultivated plants as Cucurbita
argyrosperma (Cucurbitaceae) and Coriandrum sativum (Apiaceae).
Just a few days before finding specimens of Z. armillatus, the second author had found eggs,
immature instars and adults of Leptoglossus gonagra (Fabricius, 1775) (Coreidae: Coreinae: Anisoscelini)
at the same site, the first record of this species in Costa Rica (van der Heyden & Gamboa Hidalgo,
2014).

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On 29.7.2014, a specimen of Z. armillatus was found near to the base of a leaf of Z. mays,
feeding on a spider (Fig. 1). A dead bee was observed nearby (to be seen in fig. 1, too), which might imply
that the reduviid bug was hiding among the leaves, waiting for prey. Large parts of the body of this
specimen (pronotum, wings) were black, its legs were completely black, too.
On the same day, another specimen of Z. armillatus (Fig. 2) was found near to the base of a leaf
of Z. mays, too. The body of this specimen had a yellowish colouration, parts of the -mostly black- legs
were yellow, too. When the second author got closer, moving the leaves of the plant, the bug let itself
fall down, probably a kind of defence, and secreted a scentless liquid, which was milky-yellowish.
One week later, on 5.8.2014, the second author found three more specimens of Z. armillatus at
the same site. One specimen (Fig. 3) was yellowish, two specimens were partly black (Figs. 4 and 5).
The yellowish specimens of Z. armillatus were
larger (about 20 mm) than the darker ones (about 15
mm), a sexual dimorphism, with females being larger than
males.
As Z. armillatus has not been reported from Costa
Rica yet, these records are the first ones of this species
in this country.
Figs. 1-3.- Zelus armillatus (Lepeletier & Serville, 1825), Vuelta de Jorco, Aserrí, San José, Costa Rica. 1.- Male, feeding
on a spider, dorsal view, 29.7.2014. 2.- Female, dorsal view, 29.7.2014. 3.- Female, lateral view, 5.8.2014.
1
2
3

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