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A new generic synonym in the Reduviinae of Australia, with an updated key to genera (Heteroptera: Reduviidae)

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The monotypic genus Horciniella Miller, 1958 is considered a junior synonym of Archilestidium Breddin, 1900 (new synonymy), resulting in the following taxonomic change for its type species: Archilestidium variabile (Miller, 1958) (new combination). The evidence supporting this conclusion and the new composition of the genus are discussed at length. Updated keys to the reduviine genera of Australia and the Australian species of Horcinia Stål, 1874 are included. Habitus images as well as a new distributional record are provided for several Australian reduviines.
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... Additionally, Villiers's (1948) and Cook's (1977) keys still facilitate separation of most African and Asian genera, respectively. However, as in the case of the reduviines noted by Swanson (2015), the Australian members of Ectrichodiini have been neglected. Nine genera are known from mainland Australia, and each is endemic, as well as monotypic: Antiopuloides formosus Miller, 1952;Austrokatanga monteithi Weirauch et al., 2009; Brisbanocoris fuscipennis Miller, 1957; Caloundranius formosus Miller, 1957;Colastocoris laetus Miller, 1959;Lyramna vigil Breddin, 1900;Mendola puellula Breddin, 1900;Nebriscoides nitens Miller, 1957;and Nebriscus pupus Bergroth, 1895. ...
... I have followed my prior methodology in establishing new generic synonyms (i.e., Swanson 2015Swanson , 2017: the original descriptions of all relevant taxa were compared, and when no exclusionary characters between the two genera were found, I requested photographs of corresponding type material from one of the institutions listed below to affirm my conclusions. All photographs of type material included are the property of their respective institutions; this is indicated in the caption of each figure, where relevant. ...
... The key to Old World genera was synthesized with Stål's (1874) conspectus serving as the initial framework, supplemented with the original descriptions of the taxa, key to the genera of Tribelocephalinae and Davranoglou's (2016) original description. I also have continued my use of bracketed characters (e.g., Swanson 2015), in which the contrast for a bracketed character will be encountered in one of the immediately successive couplets upon following the opposite lead. ...
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Malingeus tumidus gen. et sp. nov., a new millipede assassin from Queensland, and Yaramayahus rufescens gen. et sp. nov., a new millipede assassin from New South Wales, are herein described from the tribe Ectrichodiini (Ectrichodiinae). Additionally, Caloundranius formosus Miller, 1957, syn. nov. is here considered a junior synonym of Mendola puellula Breddin, 1900, which relegates the genus Caloundranius Miller, 1957, syn. nov. to a junior synonym of Mendola Breddin, 1900. The previously proposed status of Tasmanocoris evansi Miller, 1952, as a junior synonym of Nebriscus pupus Bergroth, 1895, is corroborated. Brisbanocoris fuscipennis Miller, 1957, syn. nov. is here considered a junior synonym of Lyramna vigil Breddin, 1900, which relegates the genus Brisbanocoris Miller, 1957, syn. nov. to a junior synonym of Lyramna Breddin, 1900. Finally, an updated generic key to the ectrichodiine genera of Australia is presented.
... I have followed my prior methodology in establishing generic synonyms (i.e. Swanson 2015Swanson , 2017Swanson , 2019aSwanson , 2019b, viz. comparing the original descriptions and images of type material of each taxon in the synonymous pair. ...
... Furthermore, Miller's proclivity for describing taxa without knowing the full complement of described fauna for an area or based on insignificant morphological or colour differences is well-established (e.g. Malipatil 1985Malipatil , 1986aMalipatil , 1986bMalipatil , 1988Malipatil , 1991Cassis and Gross 1995;Coscarón 2002;Swanson 2015Swanson , 2017Swanson , 2019aSwanson , 2019b. ...
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Knowledge of the biodiversity of a region can have wide-ranging implications for other disciplines and enterprises, including public health, agriculture and pest management, and conservation. However, in order to properly assess a region’s biodiversity, an accurate and up-to-date taxonomy is needed.While description of new taxa plays a sizeable role in how biodiversity changes over time, the re-assessment of previously described taxa and the recognition of synonyms are of equal importance. In this service, taxonomic study of ‘Rhaphidosomatini’ and its variously associated taxa was undertaken. ‘Rhaphidosomatini’ are a group of harpactorine assassin bugs centred around three predominantly sub-Saharan genera. However, its composition has remained obfuscated, as nine other small (mostly monotypic) genera have been subsequently associated with the group, either explicitly or through implied relationship. Its basic history, culminating in the rejection of ‘Rhaphidosomatini’ as a valid taxonomic group, is here discussed. Also, during this investigation, both a new species and a new generic synonym were discovered, necessitating the following taxonomic changes. Hoffmannocoris sinuatus sp. nov. is herein described from Grahamstown, South Africa. Harrisocoris africanus Miller, 1959 is here considered a junior synonym of Igora repraesentatus Hesse, 1925 syn. nov.; this taxonomic change relegates the genus Harrisocoris Miller, 1959 to a junior synonym of Igora Hesse, 1925 syn. nov. Finally, a single new country record for Rhaphidosoma collarti Schouteden, 1952 from Uganda is reported.
... Species without records from the state but likely residing in the state based on literature records are included and marked with an asterisk (*) in the key. Occasionally, brackets occur in the key, and these are used to indicate that the opposing condition for the bracketed characters do not appear in the opposite lead of that couplet but may be found by following the opposite lead to the next couplet (see Swanson 2015). Morphological characters were photographed using specimens from the INHS Insect Collection, as well as the DRS and CSC personal collections. ...
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Alabama is one of the most speciose states in the United States, yet many common groups of organisms, including assassin bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae), have yet to be fully documented. The purpose of this manuscript is to identify all known assassin bug species occurring in the state using literature records and specimens from natural history collections, most notably the Auburn University Museum of Natural History Entomology Collection, to provide new state records, a checklist, and a morphological species key of the Alabama Reduviidae. All total, 61 species within 36 genera and 10 subfamilies are reported from Alabama. Additionally, 40 new state literature records are documented: 34 from Alabama and six from other states.
... Key.-Use of brackets in the key follows my prior methods (i.e., Swanson 2015). ...
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A new harpactorine species is herein described: Authenta nigriventris Swanson, n. sp. from Tanzania. An updated key to the species of Authenta Bergroth, 1894 and the first record of Authenta subsimilis Horváth, 1914 from Nigeria also are included. © 2018 Entomological Society of Washington. All rights reserved.
... Murugan & Livingstone (1990) also noted variability in the color pattern as "colouration varies from dark to light brown depending on the colouration of the soil of the respective microhabitat." Admittedly, it is known that color pattern may be unreliable for delimiting species and this has been shown in many instances in the Reduviidae (see examples in Swanson 2015). However, in the case of these two taxa, there are no apparent differences in the color and color pattern that might render dubious a conspecific status. ...
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... In the keys, certain characters are occasionally set apart using brackets following Swanson (2015). The brackets indicate that the contrasting character comes in one of the subsequent couplets upon following the opposite lead. ...
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