Revision of the assassin bug genus Neopirates (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Peiratinae), with descriptions of two new species from Namibia

Abstract

The African assassin bug genus Neopirates Miller, 1952, is revised. The type species, N. nyassae Miller, 1952, is redescribed and illustrated; two new species from Namibia, N. bicolor Liu & Cai sp. n. and N. xanthothorax Liu & Cai sp. n. are described and a key is provided to separate the three species of this genus. Sphodrembas fumipennis Swanson, 2019, the type species of Sphodrembas Swanson, 2019, is placed as a junior synonym of N. nyassae, resulting in Sphodrembas becoming a junior synonym of Neopirates. Morphological differences between Neopirates and similar genera and the distribution of Neopirates are briefly discussed.

Keywords

• reduviidae
• peiratinae
• neopirates
• sphodrembas
• taxonomy
• new species
• new synonymy
• afrotropical region
• namibia