Male karyotypes of Elasmotropis testacea (Herrich-Schaeffer, 1835), Tingis cardui (Linnaeus, 1758), Tingis crispata (Herrich-Schaeffer, 1838), and Agramma femorale Thomson, 1871 (Heteroptera, Cimicomorpha, Tingidae) were analyzed using conventional chromosome staining and FISH with 18S rDNA and (TTAGG)n telomeric probes. The FISH technique was applied for the first time in the Tingidae. In spite of the fact that all species showed the same chromosome number (2n = 12 + XY), they have significant differences in the number and position of rDNA loci. FISH with the classical insect (TTAGG)n probe produced no signals on chromosomes suggesting telomeres in lace bugs to be of some other molecular composition. Tingidae share absence of the (TTAGG)n telomeric sequence with all so far studied taxa of the advanced true bug infraorders Cimicomorpha and Pentatomomorpha.

The karyotypes of 10 species from 9 genera of the family Tingidae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Cimicomorpha) are described and illustrated for the first time. These species are: Agrammaatricapillum (Spinola, 1837), Catoplatuscarthusianus (Goeze, 1778), Dictylaplatyoma (Fieber, 1861), Lasiacanthahermani Vásárhelyi, 1977, Oncochilasimplex (Herrich-Schaeffer, 1830), Tingis (Neolasiotropis) pilosa Hummel, 1825, and T. (Tropidocheila) reticulata Herrich-Schaeffer, 1835, all with 2n = 12A + XY, as well as Acalyptamarginata (Wolff, 1804), Derephysia (Paraderephysia) longispina Golub, 1974, and Dictyonotastrichnocera Fieber, 1844, all with 2n = 12A + X(0). Moreover, genera Catoplatus Spinola, 1837, Derephysia Spinola, 1837, and Oncochila (Herrich-Schaeffer, 1830) were explored cytogenetically for the first time. Much as all other hitherto studied lace bugs, the species studied here have 12 autosomes but differ in their sex chromosome systems. The ribosomal clusters were localized on male meiotic cells of all ten species already mentioned and, additionally, in Acalyptacarinata Panzer, 1806 known to have 2n = 12A + X (Grozeva and Nokkala 2001) by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using a PCR amplified 18S rDNA fragment as a probe. In all cases, rDNA loci were located interstitially on a pair of autosomes. Furthermore, two species possessed some additional rDNA clusters. Thus, Acalyptamarginata showed clearly defined interstitial clusters on one more pair of autosomes, whereas Derephysialongispina had a terminal cluster on the X-chromosome. FISH performed with the telomeric (TTAGG)n probe did not reveal labelling in chromosomes of any species studied. Hence, the results obtained provide additional evidence for the karyotype conservatism, at least regarding the number of autosomes, for variation in chromosomal distribution of rDNA loci between species and for the lack of the ancestral insect telomeric sequence TTAGG in lace bugs. Preliminary taxonomic comments are made basing on some cytogenetic evidence.

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A complex of morphological features of the genera Dictyonota Curtis, 1827, Kalama Puton, 1876 and Derephysia Spinola, 1837 (Heteroptera: Tingidae: Tinginae), inconsistent with the characters of the tribe Ypsotingini Drake et Ruhoff, 1965, is discussed. The common morphological features of these genera together with those of Acalypta Westwood, 1840, which do not correspond to the characters of Tingis Fabricius, 1803, as the type genus of the tribe Tingini Laporte, 1832, are presented. The data on the sex chromosome system X0/XX of these four genera, radically different from that of all the other 17 so far karyotyped Tinginae genera (XY/XX), are summarised. The closely related genera Acalypta, Dictyonota, Kalama and Derephysia are united in a tribe under the resurrected valid name Acalyptini [Acalyptaini; ICZN Case 3813, in press] Blatchley, 1926 according to the principle of priority (ICZN, Article 23). A diagnosis of the resurrected tribe Acalyptini based on morphological and karyological characters and an improved key to the genera Acalypta, Dictyonota, Kalama and Derephysia are given.

As of now, within the lace bug family Tingidae (Cimicomorpha), only 1.5% of the species described have been cytogenetically studied. In this paper, male karyotypes of Stephanitis caucasica, Stephanitis pyri, Physatocheila confinis, Lasiacantha capucina, Dictyla rotundata and Dictyla echii were studied using FISH mapping with an 18S rDNA marker. The results show variability: the major rDNA sites are predominantly located on a pair of autosomes but occasionally on the X and Y chromosomes. All currently available data on the distribution of the major rDNA in the Tingidae karyotypes are summarized and shortly discussed. Our main concern is to clarify whether the chromosomal position of rDNA loci can contribute to resolving the phylogenetic relationships among the Tingidae taxa.

Invasive alien insects cause serious ecological and economical losses around the world. Here, we review the bionomics, modern ranges (and their dynamics), distribution pathways, monitoring, and control measures of 14 insect species known to be important invasive and emerging tree pests in forest and urban ecosystems of Russia: Leptoglossus occidentalis (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae), Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), Corythucha arcuata (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Tingidae), Agrilus fleischeri, A. mali, A. planipennis, Lamprodila (Palmar) festiva (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Ips amitinus, Polygraphus proximus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), Cydalima perspectalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), Acrocercops brongniardella, Cameraria ohridella, Phyllonorycter issikii, and P. populifoliella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae). We identified three major scenarios of tree pest invasions in the country and beyond: (1) a naturally conditioned range expansion, which results in the arrival of a pest to a new territory and its further naturalization in a recipient region; (2) a human-mediated, long-distance transfer of a pest to a new territory and its further naturalization; and (3) a widening of the pest’s trophic niche and shift to new host plant(s) (commonly human-introduced) within the native pest’s range frequently followed by invasion to new regions.

The paper presents an original key for the identification of three harmful species of the lace bugs (Heteroptera: Tingidae) distributed in the south of the European part of Russia: the Palaearctic Stephanitis pyri (Fabricius, 1775) and the Nearctic Corythucha arcuata (Say, 1832) and C. ciliata (Say, 1832); the last two species are invasive in Europe.

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