The correct name of "Megalotomus" pests of soybean (Hemiptera: Alydidae)

O nome correto de "Megalotomus" pragas da soja (Hemiptera: Alydidae)

Insecta; Heteroptera; alidídeo; taxonomia

SCIENTIFIC NOTE

The correct name of "Megalotomus" pests of soybean (Hemiptera: Alydidae)

O nome correto de "Megalotomus" pragas da soja (Hemiptera: Alydidae)

Carl W. Schaefer^I; Antônio R. Panizzi^II

^IDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3043, USA

^IIEmbrapa, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Soja, Caixa postal 231, 86001-970, Londrina, PR

RESUMO

Registra-se o fato de que espécies de Megalotomus ocorrendo ao sul da América do Norte passam a pertencer ao gênero Neomegalotomus (ver Schaffner & Schaefer, Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 91, 1998). Várias destas espécies são pragas da soja [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], e portanto o uso do nome genérico correto é importante.

Palavras-chave: Insecta, Heteroptera, alidídeo, taxonomia.

In the recent years since soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] has become an important crop in Brazil, several species of Alydidae have become pests of this crop (Panizzi 1988). Like other members of the subfamily Alydinae (Schaefer 1980, Schaefer & Mitchell 1983), these species feed on legumes; it is therefore not surprising that they have turned to soybean.

These species have been placed in the genus Megalotomus. However, in an unpublished Ph.D. dissertation (1964) J. C. Schaeffner showed that these Neotropical species are not related to the genus Megalotomus, whose members occur only in the Northern Hemisphere. Schaffner (1964) created for these Neotropical species, the new genus Neomegalotomus. But because Schaffner's dissertation remained unpublished, this new generic name was not available, and until 1998 these soybean pest-alydids have remained in Megalotomus - a genus to each they are not related. In 1998, Schaffner & Schaefer published the new name, Neomegalotomus, for these Neotropical species, and the name has been used since (e.g., Santos & Panizzi 1998 a,b).

All references to species of Megalotomus south of North America should be considered to be references to Neomegalotomus. This includes the literature on the soybean pests Megalotomus parvus (Westwood) and M. rufipes (Westwood). Other species recorded from in or near Brazil in the genus Megalotomus and now transferred to Neomegalotomus are N. latifascia (Berg), N. pallescens (Stål), N. consobrinus (Westwood), and N. debilis (Walker) (Schaffner 1964). A revision of the genus is underway by CWS.

Among the recent references to soybean pests whose generic name should be changed from Megalotomus to Neomegalotomus, are Panizzi et al. (1996), Ventura & Panizzi (1997), and Santos & Panizzi (1997).

Literature Cited

Received 09/VII/98. Accepted 17/IX/98.

• Panizzi, A.R. 1988. Biology of Megalotomus parvus (Hemiptera: Alydidae) on selected leguminous food plants. Insect Sci. Appl. 9: 279-285.
• Panizzi, A.R., E. Hirose & E.D.M. Oliveira. 1996. Egg allocation by Megalotomus parvus (Westwood) (Heteroptera: Alydidae) on soybean. An. Soc. Entomol. Brasil 25: 537-543.
• Santos, C.H. & A.R. Panizzi. 1997. Tachinids parasites of adult Megalotomus parvus West. (Hemiptera: Alydidae). An. Soc. Entomol. Brasil 26: 577-578.
• Santos, C.H. & A.R. Panizzi. 1998a. Nymphal and adult performance of Neomegalotomus parvus (Hemiptera: Alydidae) on wild and cultivated legumes. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 91: 445-451.
• Santos, C.H. & A.R. Panizzi. 1998b. Danos qualitativos causados por Neomegalotomus parvus (Westwood) em sementes de soja. An. Soc. Entomol Brasil 27: 387-393.
• Schaefer, C.W. 1980. The host plants of the Alydinae, with a note on heterotypic feeding aggregations (Hemiptera: Coreoidea: Alydidae). J. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 53: 115-122.
• Schaefer, C.W. & P.L. Mitchell. 1983. Food plants of the Coreoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 76: 591-615.
• Schaffner, J.C. 1964. A taxonomic revision of certain genera of the tribe Alydini (Heteroptera: Coreidae). Ph.D. dissertation, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, 343 p.
• Schaffner, J.C. & C.W. Schaefer. 1998. Neomegalotomus new genus (Hemiptera: Alydidae: Alydinae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 91: 395-396.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  05 June 2006
• Date of issue
  Dec 1998

History

• Received
  09 July 1998
• Accepted
  17 Sept 1998