Belminus santosmalletae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae): New Species from Panama, with an Updated Key for Belminus Stål, 1859 Species

Abstract

Belminus santosmalletae, a new triatomine species, is described based on a specimen from Panama, deposited in the collection of the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA. Attempts failed to identify this specimen using the keys by Lent and Wygodzinsky (1979) and Sandoval et al. (2007). A comparison was made with specimens of Belminus Stål, 1859 specimens deposited at the Triatominae collection at the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (CTIOC), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and with previous descriptions of Belminus species. These comparisons showed the specimen represents a new species, described in the present paper. It differs from other species of the genus mainly by the grainy tegument, scarce pilosity along the body, and the number of tubercles observed on the pronotum.

Keywords: Chagas’ disease; Santa Fé district; taxonomy; vector.

Figure 1

Tribe Bolboderini genera: (A) Bolbodera Valdés, 1910 (female specimen of Bolbodera scabrosa Valdés, 1910); (B) Belminus Stål, 1859 (female specimen of Belminus peruvianus Herrer, Lent and Wygodzinsky, 1954); (C) Microtriatoma Prosen and Martínez, 1952 (male specimen of Microtriatoma borbai Lent and Wygodzinsky, 1979); (D) Parabelminus Lent, 1943 (male specimen of Parabelminus carioca Lent, 1943). All specimens are deposited in the Triatominae collection (CTIOC), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Brasil.

Figure 2

Eight described species of Belminus genus: (A) Belminus corredori Galvão and Angulo 2006 (male, holotype deposited in Triatominae collection, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (CTIOC)); (B) Belminus costaricensis Herrer, Lent and Wygodzinsky, 1954 (male, holotype deposited in Smithsonian Museum (NMNH), photographed by Thomas Henry); (C) Belminus ferroae Sandoval, Pabón, Jurberg and Galvão, 2007 (male, holotype deposited in CTIOC); (D) Belminus herreri Lent and Wygodzinsky, 1979 (female deposited in CTIOC); (E) Belminus laportei Lent, Jurberg and Carcavallo, 1995 (female paratype deposited in CTIOC); (F) Belminus peruvianus Herrer, Lent and Wygodzinsky, 1954 (female paratype deposited in CTIOC); (G) Belminus pittieri Osuna and Ayala, 1993 (female, holotype deposited in Museo del Instituto de Zoología Agrícola (MIZA), photographed by Marco Giani in Osuna and Ayala, 1993); (H) Belminus rugulosus Stål, 1859 (male deposited in CTIOC).

Figure 3

Belminussantosmalletae sp. n. female (A) dorsal view and (B) ventral view, and three labels with information about collection, collectors, date, local, and deposit voucher (USNMENT01241937).

Figure 4

Belminus santosmalletae sp. n. Schematic outline of the detail of the head in lateral view showing the visible labium segments (R1, R2, and R3), depicting the first segment (R1) not reaching the anterior border of the eyes.

Figure 5

Dorsal view of pronotum photograph (right side) and schematic outline (left side) of Belminus santosmalletae sp. n., showing the anterior lobe with 7 + 7 discal tubercles and 2 + 2 lateral tubercles.

Figure 6

Schematic outline of the legs of Belminus santosmalletae sp. n., showing the denticles (L1—fore; L2—middle; L3—hind leg).

Figure 7

Detail of abdomen of Belminus santosmalletae sp. n., depicting the spiracles (pointed by arrow A) being very close but not adjacent to the connexival suture (pointed by arrow B).