Seven families of Pentatomoidea including Acanthosomatidae, Dinidoridae, Pentatomidae, Plataspididae, Scutelleridae, Thaumastellidae, and Thyreocoridae are discussed in this catalog. The Iranian fauna of Pentatomoidea (excl. Cydnidae) is represented by 99 genera and 271 species and subspecies. Elasmostethus interstinctus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Acanthosomatidae) and Derula flavoguttata Mulsant & Rey, 1856 (Pentatomidae) are new records for Iran.
The Nearctic assasin bug species Zelus reinardii was found for the first time in Attica, Greece, Europe. This species is a generalist predator which can contribute to the control of insect pests. This is also a known predator of several biological control agents of pests. Therefore, its naturalization in Greece is potentially problematic in economic settings since the insect may act as both an intraguild and a beneficial predator. The risky nature of importation in other areas (e.g. Hawaii) showed the possibility of these ecological roles.
We report on the results of a survey of the Nepomorpha of northern Tunisia, and list twenty-three species belonging to twelve genera and seven families: Nepidae, Ochteridae, Corixidae, Micronectidae, Naucoridae, Notonectidae, and Pleidae. These records are based on intensive field surveys during the year 2013 and examination of the entomological collections of the National Museum Natural History of Paris. Ranatra linearis (Linnaeus, 1758) is recorded for the first time from Tunisia. The occurrence of Sigara (Halicorixa) stagnalis stagnalis (Leach, 1817) in Tunisia is confirmed. A preliminary checklist of the Nepomorpha of Northern Tunisia and updated distribution maps for all species treated are provided for further studies.
A study of Iranian Coreoidea, Alydidae excluded, has brought new geographical data on these bugs. Ninety-five species in 34 genera of three families, including, Coreidae (53 species), Rhopalidae (33 species), and Stenocephalidae (9 species), are listed as the fauna of Iran. The following species of Coreidae are new for the Iranian fauna: Fracastorius cornutus Distant 1902, Homoeocerus albiguttulus Stål 1873, and Prismatocerus borealis (Distant 1918).
The morphology of the spermatheca is described in 109 species of 86 genera representing all four currently recognised subfamilies of Coreidae, covering the undivided Hydarinae, both tribes of Pseudophloeinae, all three tribes of Meropachyinae and 27 of the 32 tribes of Coreinae. Three types of spermatheca are recognised. Type I is bipartite, consisting only of a simple tube differentiated into distal seminal receptacle and proximal spermathecal duct and lacks the intermediate part present in most Pentatomomorpha, in which it serves as muscular pump. Type II is also bipartite but more elaborate in form with the receptacle generally distinctly wider than the duct. Type III is tripartite, with receptacle, duct and an often complex intermediate part. Four subtypes are recognised within type III. Type I is found only in Hydarinae and type II only in Pseudophloeinae. Type III is found in both Coreinae and Meropachyinae. Subtype IIIA (“Coreus-group”) unites many tribes from the Eastern Hemisphere and only one (Spartocerini) from the Western Hemisphere. Subtypes IIIB (“Nematopus-group”) and IIID (“Anisoscelis-group”) are confined to taxa from the Western Hemisphere and subtype IIIC (“Chariesterus-group”) is found in tribes from both hemispheres. The polarity of several characters of the intermediate part and some of the spermathecal duct is evaluated, suggesting autapomorphies or apomorphies potentially relevant to the classification of Coreidae at the sufamilial and tribal levels. Characters of the intermediate part strongly indicate that the separation of Meropachyinae and Coreinae as currently constituted cannot be substantiated. The tribes Anisoscelini, Colpurini, Daladerini and Hyselonotini are heterogeneous, each exhibiting two subtypes of spermatheca, and probably polyphyletic. Two tribes, Cloresmini and Colpurini, requiring further investigation remain unplaced. This study demonstrates the great importance of characters of the spermatheca, in particular its intermediate part, for research into the phylogeny and taxonomy of Pentatomomorpha.
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