First records of eleven true bugs from the Galapagos Islands, with miscellaneous notes and corrections to published reports

by Thomas J. Henry, Michael R. Wilson

Abstract.--Eleven species of Heteroptera in seven families, including the first record of the family Alydidae, are reported from the Galapagos Islands. The first Galapagos Island records are given for the following: Alydidae [Neomegalotomus parvus (Westwood)]; Coreidae [Vazuezitocoris andinus Brailovsky = Anasa mimetica Brailovsky]; Miridae [Halticus bractatus (Say)]; Pentatomidae [Mecidea minor Ruckes, Nezara viridula (Linnaeus), Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood), and Podisus distinctus Stal]; Reduviidae [Heza ephippium (Lichtenstein)]; Rhopalidae [Niesthrea ashlocki Froeschner, Niesthrea sidae (Fabricius)]; and Tingidae [Leptobyrsa decora Drake]. For each species, we give a diagnosis, dorsal photograph, a summary of the distribution and host plants, and provide information to facilitate identification. With the discovery of these new taxa and the correction of several misidentifications, the number of Heteroptera known from the Galapagos Islands is increased from 20 families, 71 genera, and 131 species to 21 families, 76 genera, and 140 species.

Key words: Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Galapagos Islands, distribution, misidentifications, clarification, new records.

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Since the time of Darwin, the Galapagos Islands have intrigued and attracted the attention of biologists around the world. The archipelago is about 1,000 kilometers from mainland Ecuador and is comprised of seven main islands exceeding 100 square kilometers. Eleven more are between 1 and 99 square kilometers and a further 26 are less than one square kilometer (Froeschner, 1985) for a total of 7,882 square kilometers (Peck, 1991). Prior to this study, 20 families, 71 genera, and 131 species of Heteroptera were known from the Galapagos Islands (Froeschner, 1985; Peck, 2001). Recent fieldwork by one of us (MRW) and study (by TJH) of the Stewart Peck Galapagos Heteroptera Collection (now deposited in the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.) have revealed an additional 11 species of Heteroptera in seven families from the Galapagos Islands, including the first record of the family Alydidae.

In this paper, we give the first Galapagos Island records for the following Heteroptera: Alydidae [Neomegalotomus parvus (Westwood)]; Coreidae [Vazuezitocoris andinus Brailovsky = Anasa mimetica: Peck, 2001, not Brailovsky]; Miridae [Halticus bractatus (Say)]; Pentatomidae [Mecidea minor Ruckes, Nezara viridula (Linnaeus), Piezoderus guildinii (Westwood), and Podisus distinctus Stal]; Reduviidae [Heza ephippium (Lichtenstein)]; Rhopalidae [Niesthrea ashlocki Froeschner = Arhyssus sp. of Peck, 2001, in part; Niesthrea sidae (Fabricius) = Arhyssus sp. of Peck, 2001, in part]; and Tingidae [Leptobyrsa decora Drake]. For each, we give a diagnosis, dorsal photograph, summary of the distribution and host plants, and provide information to facilitate identification. With the discovery of 11 new island records and the correction of several misidentifications, the number of Heteroptera known from the Galdpagos Islands is increased to 21 families, 76 genera, and 140 species.

Depositories for specimens cited in this paper are as follows: CDRS (Charles Darwin Research Station, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador; Lazaro Roque-Albelo and Ruth Boada); NMWC (National Museum of Wales, Cardiff; M. R. Wilson); USNM (National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; T. J. Henry).

FAMILY ALYDIDAE

Neomegalotomus parvus (Westwood)

Neomegalotomus parvus (Westwood) 1842: 19; Schaffner and Schaefer 1998: 395. [Fig. 1]. New Galapagos record

Megalotomus rufipes: Froeschner 1981: 10 (misidentification).

Discussion. Schaffner and Schaefer (1998) showed that all New World species included in the genus Megalotomus, except M. quinquespinosus (Say), are not congeneric with Old World members. As a result, they established the genus Neomegalotomus to accommodate N. latifacia (Berg), N. parvus (Westwood), and N. rufipes. The genus is distinguished from other Alydidae by the combination of unarmed metatibiae, well-developed ostiolar auricle, lack of stridulatory mechanisms, narrow interocular distance (less than distance from eye to ocellus), and presence of a small, posterolateral, pronotal spine.

Froeschner (1981) included N. rufipes in his list of the Ecuadorian Heteroptera and provided a key to separate it from other Alydidae (as the only member of the genus Megalotomus Fieber) based on the straight posterior tibiae, length of antennal segment I subequal to the length of antennal segment II, and absence of metatibial spines. Neomegalotomus rufipes, however, occurs only from Florida in the United States, to Cuba, and the Greater Antilles, whereas N. parvus, is found from Mexico to Argentina, and in the Lesser Antilles (C. W. Schaefer, pers. comm.). Consequently, we consider Froeschner's (1981) record and our specimens from the Galapagos Islands to represent N. parvus. Drs. Schaefer and I. Ahmad have a revision in preparation that will clarify the distribution, relationships, and identity of species in Neomegalotomus.

Material examined. GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, Santa Cruz: 2 [male][male], 3 [female][female], 25 km zona de transicion, (nr Los Gemelos), 30.IV.2001, M.R. Wilson (NMWC); 1 female, Bella Vista, Granje Experimental FCD, 210 m alt., 11.IV.2003, M.R. Wilson (NMWC).

FAMILY COREIDAE

Vazuezitocoris andinus Brailovsky

Vazuezitocoris andinus Brailovsky 1990: 114. [Fig. 2]. New Galapagos record Anasa mimetica: Peck, 2001: 260 [misidentification].

Discussion. We have studied the specimens Peck (2001) reported as Anasa mimetica Brailovsky and found that they actually are Vazuezitocoris andinus, a species previously known only from Peru and mainland Ecuador. The genus Vazuezitocoris Brailovsky was established to accommodate two species [V. inflexicollis (Blote) and V. repletus Van Duzee, the type of the genus] transferred from the closely related genus Althos Kirkaldy and 8 new species, including V. andinus Brailovsky.

[FIGURES 1-4 OMITTED]

Vazuezitocoris andinus is easy to distinguish from Anasa sorbutica (Fabricius), the only other coreid known from the islands, by the smaller size (8.0 mm long), short, stout first antennal segment, and shorter, stouter antenniferous tubercle. Brailovsky (1990) provided a key to separate the 10 known species of Vazuezitocoris.

Material examined. GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, Floreana: 1 [female], Finca Cruz, 130 m, arid zone forest, 16-22 IV 96, FIT, S. Peck, 96-108 (USNM). Santa Cruz: Los Gemolos, Alt. 580, Scalesia forest, 9 vii 2000, M. R. Wilson (NMWC); 1 [female], El Camole, Finca Freire, agriculture zone, M. R. Wilson (NMWC).

FAMILY MIRIDAE

Halticus bractatus (Say)

Halticus bractatus (Say) 1832: 26; Beyer 1921: 1; Henry 1983: 607. [Fig. 3]. New Galapagos record

Discussion. The garden fleahopper, Halticus bractams (Say), widespread from North to South America and the West Indies, is so named because of its ability to hop and its resemblance to certain small black flea beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) (Henry, 1983). It is a pest of many crops, including alfalfa, beans, and clovers (Beyer, 1921).

This halticine mirid is recognized by the small size (adults range from about 2.30 mm in macropterous forms to about 1.50 mm in brachypterous individuals), shiny black coloration, patches of silvery scalelike setae on the dorsum, strongly saltatorial hind legs, and uniformly yellow pro- and mesofemora in males (femora black with only apices yellow in females).

Material examined. GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, Santa Cruz: 5 [male][male], 6 [female][female], Santa Rosa, El Chato, Finca H. Moreno, 11.X1.2000, M.R. Wilson (NMWC).

Horcias lacteiclavus Distant

Horcias lacteiclavus Distant 1904: 200 [Froeschner, 1989] [=Horcias chiriquinus: Peck 2001, not Distant]. [Fig. 4].

Discussion. Carvalho (1976) pointed out that Carvalho and Gagne's (1968) record of H. chiriquinus Distant from the Galapagos Islands should be applied to M. lacteiclavus. Froeschner (1985) correctly followed Carvalho's (1976) paper, but both Schuh (1995) and Peck (2001) overlooked this clarification and incorrectly listed H. chiriquinus from the islands.