Rhopalidae, commonly known as scentless plant bugs is a family of phytophagous heteropterans that currently comprises 236 species classified in 26 genera ). This family was for a long time considered a subfamily of Coreidae until gave it family rank. Several rhopalids are considered to have an economic importance, because they feed on crops; however, with a relatively low impact (Schaefer & Kotulski, 2000). In Chile this family is represented by 15 species classified in six genera (Faúndez, 2016;).
Xenogenus Berg is a bispecific genus of scentless plant bugs, widely distributed in the Americas ( ;). In Chile, to date, this genus is represented just by Xenogenus gracilis (Reed, 1899) which was described from Baños de Cauquenes, O’Higgins region. After that, no additional references on this genus have been published in the country (). The purpose of this contribution is to provide new distributional records for X. gracilis in Chile as well as the first records of Xenogenus picturatum Berg in the country.
Photos were taken with a digital camera adapted to a stereoscopic microscope. Maps were developed with QGIS. The collections cited in the text are from Museo Entomológico Luis Peña, Departamento de Sanidad Vegetal, Universidad de Chile MEUC, and Heteroptera Reference Collection of the CEBCh HRCC.
Xenogenus gracilis (Reed, 1899) (Figs. 1A, 1B, 2A)
(Harmostes gracilis Reed, 1899)
This species is currently distributed in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile and Peru towards the Andes mountains (Gollner-Scheiding, 1980; Diez & Coscarón, 2015; Melo, 2016). In Chile,, it is nBaños de Cauquenes O’Higgins region. Here we provide the first records for Tarapacá, Coquimbo, Metropolitan and Los Ríos regions.
Material examined: Chile: Tarapacá region: Mamiña, 11-2016, J. F. Campodonico leg., 2XX1 HRCC; Mamiña, 29-IX-1967, R. Charlin leg., 1X MNNC; La Tirana, II-2016 J. F. Campodonico leg., 1£ HRCC; Coquimbo region: Llanos de la Higuera, Ruta 5 Norte, Km 537, 11-X-2015, J. F. Campodonico leg, 1X HRCC; Vicuña, 4-X-1966, R. Charlin leg. 1£ MEUC Metropolitan region: Maipú, Quebrada de la Plata, 33°29'S. 70°53'W. 520m, 4-XI-2015, J. F. Campodonico leg., 2XX 1MEUC,1HRCC; Rinconada de Maipú, 19 11-1963, R. Charlin leg., 1£ MEUC; Rinconada de Maipú, IV-1963, R. Charlin leg., 1£ MEUC; Rinconada de Maipú, 29-I-1956, R. H. González leg., 1£ MEUC; Los Ríos region: Pirihueico Lake, 20-I-2011, R. Perez de Arce leg.,1X HRCC.
Xenogenus picturatum Berg, 1883 (Figs. 1C, 1D, 2B)
(=Xenogenus extensus Distant, 1893)
(=Darmistidius maculatus Uhler, 1893)
This species is the most widely distributed in the genus Xenogenus , recorded from Argentina, Bolivia, agua, Uruguay and USA (including Puerto Rico) (Gollner-Scheiding, 1980; Diez & Coscarón, 2015; Melo & Montemayor, 2016). Here we provide the first records from Chile.
Material examined: Chile Metropolitan Region, Maipú, Quebrada de la Plata, 33° 29' S. 70° 53' W. 520 m, 4. XI. 2015, J. F. Campodonico leg., 2XX 1 MEUC, 1 HRCC; Chile, Metropolitan Region, El Alfalfal, I II-2009, R. Perez de Arce leg. 1X1?- HRCC Maule región: Armerillo, 35°42' S. 71°05' W. 500 m., I I-2015, J. F. Campodonico leg., 1X HRCC; Quinamavida, 13- XI-1966, R. Charlin leg., 1X2?? MEUC.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Remarks. Xenogenus species are hard to identify because of their variability; however, male genitalia characters are strongly useful (Gollner-Scheiding, 1980, Diez & Coscarón, 2015; Fig. 1). Furthermore, to identify females, these are usually just associated with males correctly identified using genitalia (Diez & Coscarón, 2015). The presence of X. picturatum in Chile is not rare as it is widely present in the surrounding countries