The comparative morphology of adult pregenital abdominal ventrites and trichobothria in Pyrrhocoroidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomomorpha)

Publication date: Available online 2 December 2019Source: Zoologischer AnzeigerAuthor(s): Vladimír Hemala, Petr Kment, Igor MalenovskýAbstractPyrrhocoroidea (including Largidae: Larginae, Physopeltinae, and Pyrrhocoridae) constitutes the second-smallest superfamily of the true bug infraorder Pentatomomorpha (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Although this group includes several taxa widely used as models in experimental studies, as well as a number of economically important pests (inc. cotton stainers), it has received very little attention from the viewpoints of comparative morphology and phylogenetics. To improve this situation and to provide a solid base for future phylogenetic analyses, the morphology of the pregenital abdominal ventrites and trichobothria in 63 out of 69 currently valid genera of Pyrrhocoroidea are examined herein and compared with the closely related outgroups Coreoidea and Lygaeoidea. Also investigated are the fine structure of the trichobothrial complex (especially the bothrium and trichome) and intrageneric, intraspecific and intra-individual variability in the trichobothrial pattern. A new system of abbreviations is proposed to describe particular trichobothrial positions on the abdomen of trichophoran Heteroptera in order to standardise future descriptions. Diagnoses are provided for each family-group taxon in Pyrrhocoroidea and character states of individual genera within these groups demonstrated. The findings are compared with those few phylog...

Source: A Journal of Comparative Zoology - December 4, 2019 Category: Zoology Source Type: research