New paper!

Brugnera R. et al. "Searching for the identity of Podisus Herrich-Schäffer, 1851 (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae): examination of type specimens leads to taxonomic updates and description of five new species".

The Asopinae are a group of stink bugs (Pentatomidae) distinctive by having predatory feeding habits, preying on other insects, especially larvae of butterflies, moths, and beetles. Many species are common, and due to their alimentary strategies, some are objects for application in biological control programs. Podisus Herrich-Schäffer is the most diverse genus of Asopinae, distributed in the Neotropical and Nearctic regions, and their species have received attention in applied studies since the second half of the 20th century. However, the systematics of Podisus is still overlooked, and the lack of robust taxonomic information and poor species delimitation lead to misidentifications. We searched for the type specimens of Podisus deposited in the NHMUK, NHRS, MNHN, and RBINS collections in order to validate the taxonomic status of the species, and to proceed with the necessary taxonomic updates. We propose four new synonymies: Podisus volxemi Distant new junior synonym of Podisus crassimargo (Stål); Ornithosoma rivierei Kormilev and monotypic genus Ornithosoma Kormilev as new junior synonyms of Podisus semialbus Walker and genus Podisus respectively. Podisus dufouri Bergroth and Podisus punctiger Stål are revalidated, and Podisus cornutus (Dallas) is treated as species inquirenda. Five new species are described and fully illustrated: Podisus amboroensis Brugnera, sp. nov., Podisus awajun Brugnera, sp. nov., Podisus bororo Brugnera Grazia, sp. nov., Podisus guarani Brugnera & Grazia, sp. nov., and Podisus quechua Brugnera & Sampaio, sp. nov.. We highlight the importance of the examination of type material, historical specimens, and descriptions in the taxonomy of Podisus, and suggest caution in the identification of species due to the expressive number of incongruences found in previous studies.

https://brill.com/view/journals/ise/aop/article-10.1163-1876312x-bja10066/article-10.1163-1876312x-bja10066.xml

New paper!

Gierlasiński G. et al. "Kojderus maximus, a new genus and species of Tessaratomidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), the first Natalicolinae from Madagascar".

Kojderus Magnien & Gierlasiński gen. nov., with a single species, Kojderus maximus Gierlasiński & Magnien sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Tessaratomidae), is described, being the first representative of the subfamily Natalicolinae in Madagascar. The new taxon is diagnosed and described and photographic images of habitus and genital structures of both sexes are provided. It was collected in the Ivohiboro rainforest in south-central Madagascar, which is also briefly described. An updated key to the genera of Natalicolinae is provided.

https://www.aemnp.eu/acta-entomologica/volume-64-2/1989/kojderus-maximus-a-new-genus-and-species-of-tessaratomidae-hemiptera-heteroptera-the-first-natalicolinae-from-madagascar.html

New paper!

Wang Y. et al. "Species boundaries and phylogenetics of Aelia stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in China, with notes on mito-nuclear discordance".

Five stink bugs, Aelia acuminata, A. fieberi, A. furcula, A. klugii and A. sibirica, are found in China and have similar morphologies. Due to the lack of molecular data, the species boundaries and phylogenetic relationships among these five species remain uncertain. In this study, we integrated mitochondrial DNA and nuclear single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) generated by double-digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD-seq) to perform species delimitation and phylogenetic analyses of the five Aelia species. Most species delimitation analyses based on the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, mitochondrial genomes and nuclear SNPs yielded five molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs), which correspond well to the five Aelia species identified based on morphological characters. We obtained a clear mito-nuclear discordance between the tree topologies based on mitochondrial genome and genome-wide SNP data. The D-statistic and TreeMix analysis suggested that introgression is the most likely cause of mito-nuclear discordance in Aelia species, which requires confirmation through more extensive sampling and comprehensive data. This study provides the first molecular evidence of the species boundaries and phylogenetic relationships of these five Aelia stink bugs, which is crucial to our understanding of the biodiversity and evolution of Aelia species.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/zsc.12706?casa_token=l5gQJRCdQiAAAAAA%3AP3tvhSP6sl4o-bOr3gmgSS-YLFig9ay7wFxNRzxXwKt96a5ywnaHB4uQSC17f1gqzym67XViku9N8PQ