New paper!

Dai R. et al.: "Early evolution of Rhopalidae (Hemiptera): the first amber-preserved “scentless bug” from Myanmar with phylogenetic implications".

As an important group within the superfamily Coreoidea, extant Rhopalidae are commonly dubbed “scentless bugs” due to the degeneration of their scent glands, yet their early evolutionary history and phylogenetic relationships have long remained enigmatic. This study integrates fossil evidence with morphological analyses of Rhopalidae Odorocoris longirostris sp. nov., the first rhopalid species discovered in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, clarifying the intrafamilial phylogeny. Results demonstrate that: (i) Originicorizus (Yao et al. 2006a, 2006b) and Quatlocellus (Yao et al. 2006a, 2006b) (165 million years ago) represent the oldest-known stem-group rhopalids, retaining plesiomorphic traits including the presence of vein C and a lanceolate ovipositor. (ii) The new Kachin amber genus Odorocoris gen. nov. has a mosaic of character states typical of Serinethinae and Rhopalinae, providing empirical evidence for the paraphyly of the latter and supporting the reclassification of Serinethinae as a tribal-level taxon (Serinethini stat. nov.). (iii) The character states of fossil groups reveal that evolutionary transitions—degeneration of vein C (Jurassic to mid-Cretaceous), transformation of the ovipositor from lanceolate to plate-like (post mid-Cretaceous), and degeneration of scent glands—were synchronous with niche differentiation during the gymnosperm-to-angiosperm transition. In summary, this study reconstructs the evolutionary framework of Rhopalidae using Kachin amber fossils while illuminating the ecological coevolutionary mechanisms between key morphological transitions and the angiosperm radiation.

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New paper!

Frankenberg S. & Weirauch C: "Correlated evolution of exaggerated genitalic structures in the minute litter bug Nannocoris Reuter (Hemiptera: Schizopteridae)".

Studies on animal genitalia have long shaped our understanding of patterns and processes of morphological evolution. Coevolution between male and female genitalic structures is predicted to be ubiquitous, regardless of the evolutionary mechanism involved. However, studies that simultaneously evaluate male and female genitalic variation in a comparative phylogenetic framework have remained relatively scarce. We here investigate correlated male and female genital evolution in Nannocoris Reuter (Hemiptera: Schizopteridae), a minute litter bug genus that may be unique among arthropods in the degree and variation of its exaggerated genitalic traits: we here report that the length of the male intromittent organ differs dramatically between species, ranging from 1/8th to 20 times their respective body length, and that this variation is mirrored in the female spermathecal duct. Using a phylogenetic hypothesis for species of Nannocoris, measurements of male and female genitalic features, and phylogenetically independent contrasts, we find that the length of the male intromittent organ and female spermathecal duct are correlated. The mode of evolution that has led to these striking phenotypes is unknown, but we stress that this system has potential for future research in the evolution of male and female genitalic features in general.

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New paper!

de Paiva Cunha, E.V. et al.: "New Genus, a New Species, and New Combinations in Edessinae (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)".

A new genus of Edessinae is described, Notochlora gen. nov. Cunha, Robert and Fernandes. The new genus comprises three species, including two species transferred from Edessa and one new species: Notochlora dolichocera (Lichtenstein 1795) comb. nov., N. guyanensis (Fernandes and van Doesburg 2000) comb. nov., and Notochlora chlorosa Cunha, Robert and Fernandes sp. nov. These species are distributed in Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Diagnoses, redescriptions, illustrations, and a distribution map for the species of Notochlora gen. nov. are provided. Additionally, Edessa nigromaculata Fernandes and van Doesburg 2000 is transferred to Grammedessa Correa and Fernandes, 2016, based on morphological evidence.

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