Synonymy of the New World Anthocorid Genus Ameroscolopa Carpintero and Dellapé with Scoloposcelis Fieber (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Anthocoridae: Scolopini) and Redescription of Scoloposcelis basilica Drake and Harris

Abstract

The New World anthocorid genus Ameroscolopa Carpintero and Dellape is synonymized with Scoloposcelis Fieber (new synonymy) based on similarities in the shape of the ostiolar peritreme and the absence of mid and hind femoral spines in Ameroscolopa and most species of Scoloposcelis. Two New World species, Ameroscolopa flavicornis (Reuter) and A. basilica (Drake and Harris), are restored to their previous position within the Old World Scoloposcelis (reinstated combination). An expanded description of the putative rare western North American anthocorid Scoloposcelis basilica is provided based on additional specimens from Wyoming. The bifid paramere of S. basilica is described allowing males to be distinguished from the sympatric, more common and widely distributed S. flavicornis as well as Old World Scoloposcelis. New U.S. state records from California, Nevada, and Wyoming and the first Canadian record from British Columbia are reported for S. basilica.