Classification and Biogeography of Neotropical True Bugs

Abstract

A review of Heteroptera classifi cation, biogeography, and phylogeography is presented. The use of molecular data signifi cantly expanded the knowledge of phylogenetic relationships among and within heteropteran infraorders. However, taxa historically less studied continue to receive little attention. Promising, new molecular approaches with increased genetic markers and broader taxon sampling, as well as new morphological approaches (e.g., microtomography), are the future for more stable classifi cations and a better comprehension of the heteropteran evolutionary history, but their application is still incipient. A non-exhaustive overview of studies about Neotropical heteropteran biogeography is made and discussed, including those about intercontinental connections and regional distribution patterns. The most comprehensible studies, and more promising area, seem to be those focused on distribution patterns, especially employing macroecological methods, and trying to elucidate what are the major factors responsible for the distribution of the group in the Neotropics. Finally, we present an overview of phylogeographic studies involving Neotropical Heteroptera. It is clear that the best biogeographic and phylogeographic studied groups are those with medical and economical importance (e.g., Reduviidae and Pentatomidae).

Total evidence phylogenetic analysis and reclassification of Euschistus Dallas within Carpocorini (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae: Pentatominae)

“…Robust phylogenetic hypotheses are key to the advancement of comparative studies addressing questions in different fields of life sciences, such as evolutionary biology and ecology. The first hypothesis of phylogenetic relationships for the Heteroptera (Hemiptera) explicitly employing cladistic methods was developed by Schuh () (for a historical overview see Weirauch & Schuh, ; Ferrari et al ., ). Since then, phylogenetic hypotheses have been produced for higher‐level taxa of Heteroptera based on either morphological (Mahner, ) or molecular data (Xie et al ., ), or both data sources combined (Wheeler et al ., ).…”

Historical biogeography of the genus Dolichothele (Araneae:Theraphosidae)

“…Brazil is the most diverse country with 3855 species of spiders (WSC 2021). Among the Brazilian biomes, the highest species richness of spiders is found in the Atlantic Forest, followed by the Amazon, in spite of large sampling geographical barriers for taxa of the rain forests (Morrone 2006(Morrone , 2014Ferrari et al 2015).…”