Notes on Acanthaspis quinquespinosa Complex (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Reduviinae) with Description of a New Species from Pakistan

ABSTRACT Acanthaspis Amyot and Serville, 1843, is the second-largest genus within the subfamily Reduviinae. Acanthaspis quinquespinosa (Fabricius, 1781), is a common species in Pakistan. Due to its variable color patterns, its taxonomic distinction from Acanthaspis flavipes Stål, 1855 has been confounded. The genitalia in Reduviidae are commonly used for species identification and in present studies, because of identical genitalia, A. flavipes Stål, 1855 stat. restit. is restored as a junior synonym of A. quinquespinosa. The authors surveyed different locations of Pakistan for members of Reduviinae. In this context, Acanthaspis rafiqi Shah and Cai sp. nov., is described, including descriptions of genitalia and detailed illustrations giving important diagnostic characters. Interestingly, this species has relatively similar body size and color patterns including the structure of male pygophore and parameres, however, differs from A. quinquespinosa in the structure of the phallus.