Associations between Harpactorinae (Reduviidae) and plants: a fact possibly more common than recorded

HELCIO GIL SANTANA; H. A. KELLER

La Plata

Encuentro; SIXTH QUADRENNIAL MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL HETEROPTERISTS´ SOCIETY; 2018

UNLP

The observations correspond to visitors of the family Apocynaceae (Asclepiadoideae), which attract floral visitors using colors and aroma of the flowers, as well as a reward in nectar. A total of 13 species of Asclepiadoideae were recorded as being visited by 15 species of Reduviids, most of the latter visiting flowers, alternating the capture of preys with nectarivory. The absence of pollinia in legs was observed too. Notocyrtus dorsalis (Harpactorini) was observed feeding only with nectar, without any observation of predatory events by this species. The oviposition on leaves of Oxypetalum erianthum by Harpactor angulosus (Harpactorini) was also observed. Likewise, the oviposition and stalking of prey in leaves of Macroscepis elliptica by Bactrodes (Bactrodinae) was recorded. These observations reinforce that the associations between Reduviidae, mainly those belonging to Harpactorinae subfamily, and plants is probably a fact more common than have been recognized and must be recorded and more thoroughly studied