Rhynocoris

Abstract: Exclusive paternal care is exceptionally rare among arthropods, with reports of this behavior in only 13 phylogenetically independent lineages (Tallamy, 2000, 2001). Scott Ralston (1977) described males of an unidentified Zelus species aggressively defending aggregations of egg clutches from predators and parasites. This was a particularly interesting and important observation because it was (and remains) the only record of paternal care in New World Reduviidae and suggested remarkable convergence between Neotropical Zelus and several paternal Rhynocoris species from Africa (Odhiambo, 1959; Thomas and Manica, 2003). As part of a larger effort to test hypotheses regarding the evolution of exclusive paternal care, we have reexamined the reproductive behavior of Ralston’s “Zelus” in both lab and field. We conclude that his descriptions of paternal care were accurate with one important caveat: we believe he reversed the sexes! Ralston’s study was conducted in Cali, Colombia, on the campus of the Universidad del Valle. One of the similarities he noted between “Zelus” and paternal Rhynocoris species is an unusual affinity these predators share for a particular host plant species. Paternal Rhynocoris are restricted to Stylosanthes, a forage legume; and Ralston found populations of “Zelus” only on Pithecelobium dulce, a common leguminous shade tree in Central America and northern South America. In 2000 and 2001 we visited the same Pithecelobium trees studied by Ralston and found large populations of a reduviid

Abstract: In this paper, the authors report the discovery of Sphedanolestes sanguineus (Fabricius, 1794) in Turkey, a new finding for Asian fauna, and give an annotated checklist of Reduviidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) for this country. Stenolemus novaki Horvath, 1888, Holotrichius apterus Jakovlev, 1879, Holotrichius denudatus A. Costa, 1842, Holotrichius rotundatus Stal, 1874, Rhynocoris annulatus (Linnaeus, 1758), Rhynocoris transitus Hoberlandt, 1952, and Pygolampis bidentata (Goeze, 1778) are little known species from Turkey. Furthermore, Stenolemus novaki is recorded for the first time from Marmara and central Anatolia, and Pygolampis bidentata is recorded for the first time in the eastern Black Sea region. A revised list of Turkish Reduviidae species comprising 57 taxa is compiled.

Abstract: The chromosome complements and male meiosis of 12 species belonging to the subfamily Harpactorinae from north India have been described for the first time. All the species show twelve pairs of autosomes and X multiplicity with 9 species having X1X2X3Y and 3 species having X1X2Y sex mechanism. The general course of meiosis in all the presently studied species is fairly uniform. Autosomes show a high degree of decondensation and sex chromosomes are condensed during the diffuse stage. Single terminal chiasma per bivalent is seen in all except Sycanus croceovittatus Dohrn, which has two terminal chiasmata in one or two bivalents. A regular arrangement of chromosomes at metaphase I has been observed in 7 species, but in the rest, no definite pattern is recorded. In Euagoras erythrocephala Livingstone and Ravichandran, more than one type of arrangement is seen. At metaphase II, autosomes form a ring in the center of which lies the pseudomultivalent in all the species excepting Rhynocoris costalis (Stal). In Sycanus croceovittatus, a proper pseudotetravalent is lacking. Cytogenetic trends within the subfamily have been discussed in the light of newly added cytogenetic data of 12 species, which may later be used in tracing the evolution of chromosomes in Harpactorinae.