Thyanta chilensis (Herrich-Schaffer)

Rider, D. A. & Chapin, J. B., 1991, Revision Of The Genus Thyanta Stal, 1862 (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) I. South America, J. New York Entomol. Soc. 99, No. 1, pp. 1-77 : 72

Thyanta chilensis (Herrich-Schaffer) , nomen dubium

Pentatoma chilense Herrich-Schiiffer, 1853 :323; Signoret, 1863: 547.

Pentatoma chilensis: Walker, 1867:290 ; Reed, 1898:26.

Thyanta chilensis: Lethierry and Severin, 1893:148 ; Kirkaldy, 1909:94; Jensen-Haarup, 1928:185.

The type specimen of Pentatoma chilense is no longer in existence, and Herrich­Schiiffer's (1853) original description is not adequate to identify this species. Both Signoret (1863) and Reed (1898) state that the characters given are not sufficient to determine if it is a true Pentatoma . Kirkaldy (1909) transferred this species to the genus Thyanta , but he put a question mark beside the name. In his introductory paragraph to the key to Thyanta species, Jensen-Haarup (1928) stated that the key included all known species of Thyanta except several "dubious" species, one of them T. chilensis.

Herrich-Schaffer's description of P. chilensis does not match any ofthe three species of Thyanta known to occur in Chile: T. juvenca, T. rubicunda, and T. xerotica. Thyanta xerotica is relatively uncommon and occurs only in the coastal desert areas of northern Chile to Ecuador. Approximately equal numbers of T. juvenca and T. rubicunda in museums have been identified as T. chilensis. Due to the inadequacy of the original description, the lack of type material, and the confusion surrounding the name, T. chilensis should be considered a nomen dubium.