Revision of the assassin bug genus Neopirates (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Peiratinae), with descriptions of two new species from Namibia

• Main Authors: Yingqi LIU, Zhuo CHEN, Michael D. WEBB, Wanzhi CAI
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science 2020-08-01
• Series: European Journal of Entomology
• Subjects: reduviidae; peiratinae; neopirates; sphodrembas; taxonomy; new species; new synonymy; afrotropical region; namibia
• Online Access: https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-202001-0039_revision_of_the_assassin_bug_genus_neopirates_heteroptera_reduviidae_peiratinae_with_descriptions_of_two_n.php
• ISSN: 1210-5759; 1802-8829

The African assassin bug genus Neopirates Miller, 1952, is revised. The type species, N. nyassae Miller, 1952, is redescribed and illustrated; two new species from Namibia, N. bicolor Liu & Cai sp. n. and N. xanthothorax Liu & Cai sp. n. are described and a key is provided to separate the three species of this genus. Sphodrembas fumipennis Swanson, 2019, the type species of Sphodrembas Swanson, 2019, is placed as a junior synonym of N. nyassae, resulting in Sphodrembas becoming a junior synonym of Neopirates. Morphological differences between Neopirates and similar genera and the distribution of Neopirates are briefly discussed.