FOUR SPECIES OF HETEROPTERA 
NEW TO THE FAUNA OF SLOVENIA
Andrej Go GAl A
1
, Duša VADn jAl
2
& Miroslav KAs t e l ic
3
1 
Prirodoslovni muzej s lovenije, Prešernova 20, p.p. 290, s i - 1001 l jubljana; 
e-mail: agogala@pms-lj.si
2 
Generala l evičnika 46h, s i - 6000 Koper 
3 
c esta na Markovec 3, s i - 6000 Koper 
Abstract – Four species of Heteroptera were detected in s lovenia for the first time,
all in the vicinity of Koper: Camptotylus yersini (Mulsant & Rey) (Miridae), Calli-
stodema fasciata (Kolenati) (Reduviidae), Metacanthus meridionalis (A. c osta) (Be-
rytidae) and Chorosoma schillingii (s chilling) (Rhopalidae). t hey were photographed
in the field and in one case collected afterwards.
Ke y w o RDs : Hemiptera, Heteroptera, introduced species, fauna, s lovenia
Izvleček – Št iRi VRs t e s t e n ic (He t e Ro Pt e RA), n o Ve V FAVn i s l o Ve -
n ije
Štiri vrste podreda Heteroptera so bile prvič najdene v s loveniji, vse v okolici Ko-
pra: Camptotylus yersini (Mulsant & Rey) (Miridae), Callistodema fasciata (Kolenati)
(Reduviidae), Metacanthus meridionalis (A. c osta) (Berytidae) in Chorosoma schil-
lingii (s chilling) (Rhopalidae). n a terenu smo jih fotografirali in v enem primeru
pozneje tudi ujeli.
Kl ju č n e Be s e De : Hemiptera, Heteroptera, vnešene vrste, favna, s lovenija
Introduction
During the years 2018 and 2019, four species of Heteroptera not known from s lo-
venia before were photographed in the field. t wo of them live on the Tamarix bushes
and are introduced species like their plant host. t he other two were long expected in
s lovenia as they are present in neighbouring countries. s pecimens of one of them
were also collected and are preserved in the collection of the s lovenian museum of
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LJUBLJANA, JUNIJ 2020                    Vol. 28, øt. 1: 15–21

n atural History in l jubljana (PMs l ). t he indentifications of the other three species
were possible from the photographs without doubt.
List of species
Miridae
Camptotylus yersini (Mulsant & Rey, 1856)
Koper, Škocjanski zatok, u t M: Vl 04, 23. 9. 2018 on Tamarix, photo Miroslav
Kastelic
A characteristic colour pattern distinguishes this member of the Phylini tribe
and enable identification from the photograph. Camptotylus species are recognizable
mirids for having one dark rounded spot in the radial part of the corium; the heme-
lytra are green in color; Articles 3 and 4 of the rostrum are enlarged compared to
the first and second. Four black rings on the second antennal segment differentiate
Camptotylus yersini from other species in the same genus (w agner 1973). it is a
Mediterranean species, distributed in s outhern e urope (France, italy and s pain),
n orthern Africa, Middle e ast and c entral Asia (Kerzhner & josifov 1999). it lives
on Tamarix species (t amaricaceae) and was found and photographed on this plant
also in s lovenia. t amarisks are not native on the s lovenian coast, they are planted
as ornamentals or expand further from such plants. insects obligately dependent of
them were thus also introduced, most probably together with the plant material, or
they spread along the Mediterranean coast by themselves as tamarisks are present
in many places. t he record in Koper is the northernmost in the range of Camptotylus
yersini. t he nearest known locality is in Goro (italy, Ferrara) on the opposite side
of the Adriatic sea (Dioli 1995).
Acta entomologica slovenica, 28 (1), 2020
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Fig. 1: Camptotylus yersini (Mulsant & Rey) on Tamarix in Škocjanski zatok
near Koper, photo M. Kastelic

Reduviidae
Callistodema fasciata (Kolenati, 1857)
Koper, Škocjanski zatok, Vl 04, 8. 8. 2019 on Tamarix, 1 nymph, photo M. Kastelic,
29. 8. 2019, 1 nymph, photo M. Kastelic, 30. 8. 2019, 1 nymph, photo M. Kastelic, 2.
9. 2019, 1 nymph, photo M. Kastelic, 5. 9. 2019, 1 nymph, photo M. Kastelic, 10. 9.
2019 on Tamarix, 1♂, photo D. Vadnjal, 1♀, photo M. Kastelic, 11. 9. 2019, 1 freshly
molted adult, photo D. Vadnjal, 13. 9. 2019, 1 nymph, photo D. Vadnjal, 15. 9. 2019,
1 nymph, photo D. Vadnjal, 21. 9. 2019, 1 freshly molted adult, photo M. Kastelic
Harpactorine assassin bug strictly bound to Tamarix bushes where it feeds on small
Auchenorrhyncha and Heteroptera (Miridae like Tuponia and l ygaeidae – Artheneis)
(Putshkov & Moulet 2009). t he red and black colour pattern of adults reminds of Lygaeus
and Spilostethus species (l ygaeidae). n ymphs that do not fly have a camouflage appearance
among the leaves of the tamarisk (Fig. 2). Adults have instead aposematic colours like the
poisonous l ygaeidae, e.g. Lygaeus and Spilostethus, to be safer from predators (Fig.3). 
Callistodema fasciata is an e ast Mediterranean species, distributed from Greece
to t urkey, Dagestan (Russia), Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaidjan and iran (Putshkov
P.V. & V.G. 1996, Putshkov & Moulet 2009). t he locality on the s lovenian coast is
far away from the known distribution but at the port of Koper, a possible spot of in-
troduction. w armer climate of recent years enable such southern species to survive
far north to their native range.
Berytidae
Metacanthus meridionalis (A. c osta, 1843)
Koper, Škocjanski zatok, Vl 04, 3. 6. 2019 on Epilobium hirsutum, 1♀, photo
Duša Vadnjal, 3. 8. 2019, 2♂1♀, Duša Vadnjal leg., PMs l
Andrej Gogala, Duøa Vadnjal, Miroslav Kastelic: Four species of Heteroptera new to the fauna of Slovenia
17
Fig. 2: Callistodema fasciata (Kolenati) nymph on Tamarix in Škocjanski zatok
near Koper, photo M. Kastelic

Acta entomologica slovenica, 28 (1), 2020
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Fig. 4: Metacanthus meridionalis (A. c osta) female in Škocjanski zatok near
Koper, photo D. Vadnjal
Fig. 3: Callistodema fasciata (Kolenati) female on Tamarix in Škocjanski zatok
near Koper, photo M. Kastelic

n orth Mediterranean and Pontic species, living on Epilobium species (o nagraceae)
(Péricart 1984). its main foodplant is Epilobium hirsutum, confirmed also in s lovenia.
its presence was expected as it is distributed in neighbouring countries. it was found
also in Gorizia, at the border between italy and s lovenia (Péricart 1984).
Rhopalidae
Chorosoma schillingii (s chilling, 1829)
Koper, Dekani, Vl 04, 12. 8. 2018, 1♀, photo Duša Vadnjal, 20. 8. 2018, 1♂1♀,
photo Miroslav Kastelic, 5. 9. 2018, 1♀, photo Duša Vadnjal
e uropean species feeding predominantly on various Poaceae (Moulet 1995). it
was expected in s lovenia as it is present in all neighbouring countries. Another
species present in e urope, Chorosoma gracile josifov 1968, is similar, but distributed
only in the Pannonian part of c entral e urope. it is unlikely to be present near the
Adriatic coast. t he identification is proved also by long pilosity of the hind tibiae,
characteristic for Ch. schillingii and evident on the photographs.
Andrej Gogala, Duøa Vadnjal, Miroslav Kastelic: Four species of Heteroptera new to the fauna of Slovenia
19
Fig. 5: Chorosoma schillingii (s chilling) female in Dekani near Koper, photo D.
Vadnjal

Conclusions
All four species new to the country have been found in the s lovenian part of
istria, region with the warmest climate in s lovenia and where species which expand
their distribution ranges due to climate change are expected to appear. t wo species,
Metacanthus meridionalis and Chorosoma schillingii may have been overlooked
before as they are present in neighbouring countries. t wo species which live exclusi-
vely on Tamarix, however, most probably colonized the s lovenian locality near
Koper only in recent times. in the same locality other Heteroptera species were found
on the Tamarix bushes before: Tuponia hippophaes (Fieber, 1861), Tuponia mixticolor
(A. c osta, 1862) and Megalodactylus macularubra (Mulsant & Rey, 1852) (Gogala
2006). t hey were collected by the first author in the year 2000 during survey of the
Škocjanski zatok, area provided for conservation. Camptotylus yersini and Callisto-
dema fasciata were not detected then. t he latter seems to be quite numerous now as
it was photographed on many visits to the area, first as nymphs and in s eptember
finally as adults.
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Received / Prejeto: 4. 2. 2020
Acta entomologica slovenica, 28 (1), 2020
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