Saica Amyot and Serville (Reduviidae, Emesinae, Saicini): taxonomic revision and phylogenetic analysis with morphological characters

Abstract

The Neotropical assassin bug genus Saica Amyot & Serville, 1843 (Reduviidae Latreille, 1807, Emesinae Amyot & Serville, 1843, Saicini Stål, 1859) includes thirteen valid species, nevertheless itsbiology and natural history is almost unknown. A taxonomic revision and a morphological phylogenetic analysis were carried out to test the species limits and to propose a hypothesis of evolutionary relationships. Saica is characterized by the tufts of strong setae on the mandibular plates and on the postocular region; the short pedicellus; the produced anterior margin of the proepisternal supracoxal lobe; the simple strong setae on the prolegs; the bifid posteromedial process of pygophore; and the vertical to subvertical posterior margin of the abdominal sternite VII in females. After this study, we propose fourteen valid species: Saica apicalis Osborn & Drake, 1915, S. carayoni Villiers, 1943, S. cruentata Bergroth, 1913, S. elkinsi Blinn, 1994, S. erubescens Champion, 1898, S. fuscipes Stål, 1862, S. lativentris Villiers, 1943, S. meridionalis Fracker & Bruner, 1924, S. ochracea Distant, 1902, S. recurvata (Fabricius, 1803), S. rubripes Champion, 1898, S. subinermis Hussey, 1953, S. tibialis Stål, 1862, and S. tupackatari n. sp. from Bolivia. The phylogenetic analyses recovered Saica as a monophyletic group with the following set of relationships: ((S. ochracea + S. tupackatari n. sp.) (S. carayoni (S. recurvata (S. rubripes ((S. subinermis (S. apicalis + S. meridionalis)) (S. elkinsi (S. erubescens (S. lativentris + S. tibialis)))))))).