Revision and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Hadronema Group (Miridae: Orthotylinae: Orthotylini), With Descriptions of New Genera and New Species, and Comments on the Neotropical Genus Tupimiris

Combined molecular and morphological phylogeny of Myrtlemiris, evolution of endosomal spicules, description of two new species and Neomyrtlemiris, gen. nov. (Insecta : Heteroptera : Miridae : Orthotylinae)

The mirid subfamily Orthotylinae is hyperdiverse in Australia but poorly described; this work is part of a series of papers on the documentation of this fauna. Two new species of the Australian endemic plant bug genus Myrtlemiris Cheng, Mututantri & Cassis (Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae: Orthotylini) are described as new to science: Myrtlemiris kararensis, sp. nov., and M. lochada, sp. nov. The new Australian genus and species Neomyrtlemiris picta gen. nov. et sp. nov. are also described. Myrtlemiris is analysed phylogenetically using 32 morphology-based characters, as well as molecular alignments (COI, 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA and 28S rRNA; including 1958 base pairs) with the genus found to be monophyletic based on molecular, morphological and combined analyses. Neomyrtlemiris is the sister to Myrtlemiris. Host plant association analysis demonstrated constraints to the myrtaceous tribe Chamelaucieae, with Malleostemon and Calytrix recovered as ancestral host plants. Ancestral state reconstructions were carried out on male genitalic structures, demonstrating the phylogenetic value of endosomal spicules. This work demonstrates that the Orthotylinae are a rich component of Australia’s biodiversity, particularly in the south-west of Western Australia.

A new species of Carvalhomiris from Colombia with an assessment of its phylogenetic position (Heteroptera, Miridae, Orthotylinae)

Plant bugs, species of Miridae (Heteroptera), are not well known in the Neotropics, and Colombia is not an exception. Based on data from the available systematic catalog (Schuh 2002-2013) fewer than 150 species are recorded from the country, clearly an underestimation. Recent fieldwork has resulted in several new interesting taxa from Colombia. Carvalhomiris Maldonado & Ferreira, 1971, contains three described species from Colombia and Ecuador. From specimens collected in Jardín, Antioquia, Carvalhomirishenryi sp. n. is described. Images of the dorsal habitus and the male and female genitalia are provided. Based on morphological examination of the new species and published information, morphological characters were coded to construct a phylogenetic matrix for a cladistic analysis in which the phylogenetic position of the new species is assessed. Carvalhomirishenryi sp. n. is the northernmost species of the genus and noteworthy because it is the first record of any species of the genus in the Western Cordillera: all other species are known from the eastern flank of the Andes (Ecuador) or the Eastern Cordillera (Colombia). Natural history observations of the new species, including associations with composites (Asteraceae) are provided. It is speculated that the mirid might be predacious.

Areas of endemism in the Nearctic: a case study of 1339 species of Miridae (Insecta: Hemiptera) and their plant hosts

Areas of endemism are essential first hypotheses in investigating historical biogeography, but there is a surprising paucity of such hypotheses for the Nearctic region. Miridae, the plant bugs, are an excellent taxon to study in this context, because this group combines high species diversity, often small distribution ranges, a history of modern taxonomic revisions, and comprehensive electronic data capture and data cleaning that have resulted in an exceptionally error-free geospatial data set. Many Miridae are phytophagous and feed on only one or a small number of host plant species. The programs ndm/vndm are here used on plant bug and plant data sets to address two main objectives: (i) identify areas of endemism for plant bugs based on parameters used in a recent study that focused on Nearctic mammals; and (ii) discuss hypotheses on areas of endemism based on plant bug distributions in the context of areas identified by their host plant species. Given the narrow distribution ranges of many species of Miridae, the analytical results allow for tests of the prediction that areas of endemism for Miridae are smaller and more numerous, especially in the Western Nearctic, than are those of their host plants. Analyses of the default plant bug data set resulted in 45 areas of endemism, 35 of them north of Mexico and many located in the Western Nearctic; areas in the Nearctic are more numerous and smaller than those identified by mammals. The host plant data set resulted in ten areas of endemism, and even though the size range of areas is similar between the Miridae and plant data sets, the average area size is smaller in the Miridae data set. These results allow for the conclusion that the Miridae indeed present a valuable model system to investigate areas of endemism in the Nearctic.

Plant bugs, plant interactions and the radiation of a species rich clade in south-western Australia: Naranjakotta, gen. nov. and eighteen new species (Insecta : Heteroptera : Miridae : Orthotylinae)

New surveys from the Bush Blitz and Planetary Biodiversity Inventory programs has revealed a largely unknown biota of plant bugs in Australia. The mirid subfamily Orthotylinae has exploded in Australia, in association with perennial shrubs in arid and semi-arid Australia. This work documents the discovery of a new clade of 18 new species of the plant bug subfamily Orthotylinae. These new species belong to Naranjakotta, gen. nov., which was analysed phylogenetically and found to be monophyletic. The distribution of Naranjakotta and included species are documented, and analysed in reference to the distribution of all other orthotylines across continental Australia. A paralogy-free subtree analysis was conducted based on a recent phytogeographic classification, which resulted in the recognition of eastern and western subclades, with Tasmania and the Eyre Peninsula unresolved. The host plant associations were optimised at generic and ordinal levels to the Naranjakotta phylogeny and an ancestral Lamiales association for Naranjakotta and an ancestral Acacia association for a subclade of Naranjakotta were found. The eighteen new species described in this work are: N. bicolorata, sp. nov., N. chinnocki, sp. nov., N. cryptandraphila, sp. nov., N. dimorpha, sp. nov., N. graphica, sp. nov., N. hakeaphila, sp. nov., N. hibbertiaphila, sp. nov., N. hyalina, sp. nov., N. keraudrenia, sp. nov., N. lochada, sp. nov., N. macfarlanei, sp. nov., N. minor, sp. nov., N. myrtlephila, sp. nov., N. rosa, sp. nov., N. splendida, sp. nov., N. unicolorata, sp. nov., N. wanarra, sp. nov. and N. watheroo, sp. nov. Orthotylus sidnicus (Stål) is transferred to Naranjakotta.

Revision of the Ceratocapsine Renodaeus group: Marinonicoris, Pilophoropsis, Renodaeus, and Zanchisme, with descriptions of four new genera (Heteroptera, Miridae, Orthotylinae)

The Renodaeus group, a monophyletic assemblage of genera within the New World orthotyline tribe Ceratocapsini, comprising eight genera, including four new ones, is defined; and 48 species are treated, including 26 described as new and 12 transferred from Ceratocapsus Reuter as new combinations. Ceratocapsideagen. n. is described to accommodate the new species Ceratocapsideabahamaensissp. n., from the Bahamas; Ceratocapsideabaranowskiisp. n., from Jamaica; Ceratocapsideadominicanensissp. n., from the Dominican Republic; Ceratocapsidearileyisp. n., from Texas; Ceratocapsideataeniolasp. n., from Jamaica; Ceratocapsideatexensissp. n., from Texas; Ceratocapsideatransversasp. n., from Mexico (Neuvo León); and Ceratocapsideavariabilissp. n., from Jamaica; and Ceratocapsusballi Knight, comb. n., Ceratocapsuscomplicatus Knight, comb. n., Ceratocapsideaconsimilis Reuter, comb. n., Ceratocapsusfusiformis Van Duzee, comb. n. (as the type species of the genus), Ceratocapsusnigropiceus Reuter, comb. n., and Ceratocapsusrufistigmus Blatchley, comb. n. [and a neotype designated], Ceratocapsusclavicornis Knight, syn. n. and Ceratocapsusdivaricatus Knight, syn. n. are treated as junior synonyms of Ceratocapsusfusiformis Van Duzee. The genus Marininocoris Carvalho and the only included species Marinonicorismyrmecoides Carvalho are redescribed. The genus Pilophoropsis Poppius is redescribed and revised, Renodaeustexanus Knight, comb. n. is transferred into it and the three new species Pilophoropsisbejeanaesp. n., from Sonora, Mexico; Pilophoropsiscunealissp. n., from Oaxaca, Mexico; Pilophoropsisquercicolasp. n., from Arizona, USA, are described. Pilophoropsideagen. n. is described to accommodate the 12 new species Pilophoropsideabrailovskyisp. n., from Federal District, Mexico; Pilophoropsideacuneatasp. n., from Chiapas, Mexico; Pilophoropsideadimidiatasp. n., from Durango, Mexico; Pilophoropsideafuscatasp. n., from Durango, Mexico and Arizona and New Mexico, USA; Pilophoropsideakeltonisp. n., from Durango, Mexico; Pilophoropsideamaximasp. n., from Durango, Mexico; Pilophoropsideapueblaensissp. n., from Puebla, Mexico; Pilophoropsideaschaffnerisp. n., from Neuvo León and San Luis Potosi, Mexico; Pilophoropsideaserratasp. n., from Michoacan, Mexico; Pilophoropsideatouchetaesp. n., from Mexico (Puebla); Pilophoropsideatruncatasp. n., from Mexico (Guerrero); Pilophoropsideatuberculatasp. n., from Mexico (Guerrero); and Ceratocapsusbarberi Knight, comb. n., Ceratocapsuscamelus Knight, comb. n. (as the type species of the genus), and Ceratocapsusfascipennis Knight, comb. n.Pilophoropsitagen. n. is described to accommodate Pilophoropsideaschaffnerisp. n. from Costa Rica and Mexico (Jalisco, Nayarit, Oaxaca). The genus Renodaeus Distant is redescribed and the new species Renodaeusmimeticussp. n. from Ecuador is described. The genus Zanchisme Kirkaldy is reviewed and the four known species are redescribed. Zanchismeopsideagen. n. is described to accommodate Zanchismeopsideadiegoisp. n. from Argentina (Santiago del Estero). Provided are habitus illustrations for certain adults (Pilophoropsideacamelus, Pilophoropsisbrachyptera Poppius, Renodaeusmimeticus, and Zanchismemexicanus Carvalho & Schaffner), male and female (when available) color digital images and figures of male genitalia of all species, electron photomicrographs of diagnostic characters for selected species, and keys to the genera and their included species. The taxa treated in this paper are arranged alphabetically by genus and species.

Systematics, biodiversity, biogeography, and host associations of the Miridae (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Cimicomorpha)

The Miridae, a hyperdiverse family containing more than 11,020 valid described species, are discussed and the pertinent literature is reviewed. Diagnoses for the family and subfamilies are given. Color habitus photos are presented for representatives of most of the 35 currently recognized tribes. Key morphological character systems are discussed and illustrated, including pretarsal structures, femoral trichobothria, external efferent system of the metathoracic glands, male and female genitalia, and molecular markers. A historical comparison of tribal classifications and the most up-to-date classification are presented in tabular form. A brief history of the classification of each of the eight recognized subfamilies is presented. Distributional patterns and relative generic diversity across biogeographic regions are discussed; generic diversity by biogeographic region is presented in tabular form. Taxonomic accumulation graphs are presented by biogeographic region, indicating an ongoing need for taxonomic work in the Southern Hemisphere, and most particularly in Australia. Host plant associations are evaluated graphically, showing high specificity for many taxa and a preference among phytophagous taxa for the Asteridae and Rosidae.

Systematics and evolution of Heteroptera: 25 years of progress

Heteroptera, or true bugs, are part of the most successful radiation of nonholometabolous insects. Twenty-five years after the first review on the influence of cladistics on systematic research in Heteroptera, we summarize progress, problems, and future directions in the field. The few hypotheses on infraordinal relationships conflict on crucial points. Understanding relationships within Gerromorpha, Nepomorpha, Leptopodomorpha, Cimicomorpha, and Pentatomomorpha is improving, but progress within Enicocephalomorpha and Dipsocoromorpha is lagging behind. Nonetheless, the classifications of several superfamily-level taxa within the Pentatomomorpha, such as Aradoidea, Coreoidea, and Pyrrhocoroidea, are still unaffected by cladistic studies. Progress in comparative morphology is slow and drastically impedes our understanding of the evolution of major clades. Molecular systematics has dramatically contributed to accelerating the generation and testing of hypotheses. Given the fascinating natural history of true bugs and their status as model organisms for evolutionary studies, integration of cladistic analyses in a broader biogeographic and evolutionary context deserves increased attention.