Revision of the New World plant bug genus Cyrtocapsus (Heteroptera: Miirdae: Bryocorinae: Eccritotarsini), with new and revised synonymies, lectotype designations, and descriptions of new species

Authors: Henry, Thomas

Submitted to: Zootaxa
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/18/2022
Publication Date: 6/13/2022
Citation: Henry, T.J. 2022. Revision of the New World plant bug genus Cyrtocapsus (Heteroptera: Miirdae: Bryocorinae: Eccritotarsini), with new and revised synonymies, lectotype designations, and descriptions of new species. Zootaxa. 5154:1-48. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5154.1.1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5154.1.1

Interpretive Summary: Plant bugs represent the largest family of true bugs and includes numerous agriculturally important species. Many, such as the black grass bugs, cotton fleahopper, and lygus bugs, are serious pests of crops and ornamental plantings, causing enormous economic losses in the United States annually. This paper investigates a relatively large group of plant bugs restricted to the Western Hemisphere that are often injurious to such crops as beans, sweet potatoes, and ornamentals, including morning glories and related plants. The identity of several misidentified species is clarified, 12 species new to science are described and illustrated, and a key and color images of the adults of all 26 known species are provided to aid in their identification. This information will be of interest to a wide range of researchers, regulatory personnel, horticulturalists, and Federal and state departments of agriculture studying insect pests associated with truck crops and ornamental plants.

Technical Abstract: The New World eccritotarsine genus Cyrtocapsus Reuter (Miridae: Bryocorinae) is revised. Cyrtocapsus andinus Carvalho, 1954, n. syn. is synonymized as a junior synonym of Capsus caligineus Stål, 1859; Pirithous pallipes Distant, 1884, is resurrected from synonymy as the next available name for C. caligineus of authors; Miccus elutipes Bergroth, 1910, is resurrected from synonymy as the next available name for C. femoralis of authors and is considered the senior synonym of C. nanus Carvalho, 1954, n. syn.; C. xinguanus Carvalho, 1985, n. syn. is synonymized as a junior synonym of C. intermedius Reuter, 1909; the identities of C. caligineus and C. femoralis Reuter are clarified; lectotypes are designated for five species (Capsus caligineus, Cyrtocapsus femoralis, Cyrtocapsus intermedius, Cyrtocapsus rostratus Reuter, 1908, and Miccus elutipes); and 12 new species are described: C. apicalis, n. sp.; C. atrametatibialis, n. sp.; C. costatus, n. sp.; C. discalis, n. sp.; C. fiuzai, n. sp.; C. glabratus, n. sp.; C. lazelli, n. sp.; C. mesoamericanus, n. sp.; C. metafemoratus, n. sp.; C. schaffneri, n. sp., C. spatulatus, n. sp., and C. suturalis, n. sp. A color dorsal illustration of the adult male and SEM micrographs of C. lazelli, color habitus images of all species, and male genitalia for 19 species are provided, and a revised identification key to the 25 known species of the genus is given to facilitate identification.