A phenetic study of the genus <i>Rasahus</i> Amyot & Serville (Heteroptera, Reduviidae)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33338/ef.83459Abstract
Cluster analysis by four methods and a principal component analysis were performed using data on 24 morphological characters of 27 species of the genus Rasahus (Peiratinae). The results obtained by the different techniques show general agreement. They confirm the present number of taxa and reveal the existence within the genus of three groups of species: scutellaris , hamatus and vittatus. The scutellaris group is constituted by R. aeneus (Walker), R. maculipennis (Lepelletier and Serville), R. bifurcatas Champion, R. castaneus Coscarón, R. guttatipennis (Stål), R. flavovittarus Stål, R. costarricensis Coscarón, R. scutellaris (Fabricius), R. atratus Coscarón, R. peruensis Coscarón, R. paraguayensis Coscarón, R. surinamensis Coscarón, R. albomaculatus Mayr, R. brasiliensis Coscarón and R. sulcicollis (Serville).The hamatus group contains R. rufiventris (Walker), R. hamatus (Fabricius), R. amapaensis Coscarón, R. arcitenens Stål, R. limai Pinto, R. angulatus coscarón, R. thoracicus Stål, R. biguttatus (Say), R. arcuiger (Stål), R. argentinensis Coscarón and R. grandis Fallou. The vittatus group contains R. vittatus Coscarón. The characters used to separate the groups of species are: shape of the pygophore, shape of the parameres, basal plate complexity, shape of the postocular region and hemelytra pattern. Illustrations of the structures of major diagnostic importance are included.
