The Coreidae of Honduras (Hemiptera: Coreidae)

Abstract Background Coreidae bugs are mostly sap-sucking insects feeding on a variety of plants. Despite their abundance and economic importance in Honduras there is little information on the species, their distribution and affected crops. Since knowledge of pest species allows for better management of crops, we aimed to document the diversity of this economically important group. Specimens from four entomological collections in Honduras were studied and an exhaustive search of all available literature was conducted. New information A total of 2,036 insects were examined. The fauna of Honduran coreids is now composed of 68 species. Nineteen species are recorded for the country for the first time and 17 species were found only in literature. Little is known about the biology and economic importance of most of the species.


Introduction
Bugs of the Coreidae family are primarily phytophagous insects that feed on plants sucking sap from branches, leaves, flowers and fruits. Many coreids are known pests of ornamentals and crops that can, at times, cause serious damage or even total loss (Henry 2009). Due to their feeding habits, they can cause malformations, rotting, discoloration, and also abortion of the fruit and poor formation of the seed (Mitchell 2000).
Honduras' economy is largely depending on agriculture. Given that pest control depends heavily on proper species identification and management, knowledge of the species becomes paramount for the economy. Despite this, little information on insects from the country is available. Evans and Halbert (2007) found 26 new aphids in Honduras out of the 46 species known for the country. In Coleoptera, Turnbow et al. (2003b), found that of the 626 species of Honduran cerambycids, 364 were new country records. Similarly, Turnbow et al. (2003a), found 78 bruchids new to the country of the 148 known species. We estimate that at least half of the species of insects in Honduras are known unknowns: species already described that are not recorded for the country. This, together with the relative lack of in-country taxonomists poses a difficulty for, among other things, crop management. It is impossible to know the pest status of an unknown insect.
This work is an effort to provide comprehensive information on the coreid species from Honduras, including their geographic distribution by department and the plants they are known to feed on.
The material was identified by comparison with a reference collection at EAPZ and by using available keys. Label information containing host, date of collection, and distribution was recorded. Additional species information was gathered from the literature.
Geographic and temporal distribution of adults in Honduras as well as biological infomation for all species was obtained from label data. For the new country records the known distribution, outside Honduras, according to the available literature is included.
Hosts: Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. and Zea mays L. (corn) (EAPZ). In the United States this species is considered as one of the important pests of pumpkin and squash. It causes necrosis on the leaves, scars on the fruits and a rapid wilting of the plant. It is parasitized by Trichopoda pennipes (F.) (Diptera: Tachinidae) (Alston and Barnhill 2008).
Temporal distribution: May and October.
It is considered one of the most important pests of passion fruit in Brazil (Oliveira and Frizzas 2014).
Temporal distribution: January, May-July. Hosts
Hosts: Cucurbita sp. (Mitchell 2000). Leptoglossus zonatus is one of the most important and abundant pest species of coreids in Honduras. This species is parasitized by wasps of the genera Geyon, Ooencyrtus, Anastatus and Neorileya. Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae have been used successfully as a control (Mitchell 2000).
Temporal distribution: May.
Temporal distribution: February, October, and November.

Sagotylus confluens (Say, 1832)
Distribution: Atlántida, Comayagua, Choluteca, Cortés, El Paraíso, Francisco Morazán, Islas de la Bahía, Olancho, and Yoro. This species is considered one of the main pests of fig trees in Mexico feeding on terminal shoots and new leaves. Due to its large size, the latex loss is high and its excreta favor the establishment of fungi on the terminal buds causing them to dry (Valdés-Rodríguez et al. 2015).

Discussion
A total of 2,036 specimens were examined. 68 species are now known from Honduras with 19 being new country records (Table 1). Seventeen species were only found recorded in literature. Many of the species found in Honduras are known only from one department. We suspect this is not a real reflection of the species' distribution but collecting bias. For nine of the species there is no information on where in Honduras they occur.