ALBERPROSENIA-MALHEIROI SERRA, ATZINGEN A ND SERRA, 1987 (HEMIPTERA, REDUVIIDAE), REDESCRIPTION AND BIONOMICS

Alberprosenia malheiroi n. sp.first became known through an informal p ublication of a paper submitted a Congress, in 1980. The same diagnosi s with a photograph was published in 1987, but no formal description h as yeet been made. The present authors describe adults and immature in stars, establish a sintypical series and introduce bionomic data and d ata on the rearing of this species in insectary. The most evident diff erences between A. malheiroi n. sp. and A. goyovargasi, the former gen eric species, are the general colour pattern which is completely black ; the interocular area, wider than an eye in dorsal view; the acute ap ex in collar tubercules and the significantly larger size, almost doub le that of the latter specie. The eggs are small attach themselves to the substratum in groups of either 3 or 4, are elipsoid with no latera l flattening, having a convex and prominent operculum, without conspic uous structures. Nymphs have the typical tribal and generic characteri stics in each stage, the anteocular region being shorter than the post ocular one. Pilosity appears in the second instar and becomes more evi dent with instar development A. malheiroi n. sp. was captured in a for est, in wild (palm-tree) ecotopes associated with bats or birds, in th e State of Pam, Brazil. Trypanosoma cruzi was not found in any specime ns. These triatomines were reared in +/- 25 degrees C and +/- 60 % RH, the insects are quick and fly without difficulty. They fed well on pi geons and bats but not on rats, mice or hamsters. The eggs incubation period was thirteen days on average, and the evolution time of the nym phal period was a hundred and thirty two days on average.