Small Bugs, Big Changes: Taxonomic Revision of Orthorhagus McAtee & Malloch.

Abstract

The Schizopteridae, the largest family of litter bugs (Hemiptera: Schizopteridae), comprises 53 genera of primarily tropical, tiny true bugs. The largest genus Schizoptera Fieber comprises 64 described species and six subgenera with primarily tropical and subtropical distributions across the New World. Schizoptera species are morphologically diverse with extreme asymmetry of male genitalia and sexually dimorphic wing in females of some species. Subgeneric concepts of Schizoptera are yet to be evaluated in a phylogenetic context. The subgenus Orthorhagus McAtee & Malloch was described from a single specimen as part of Schizoptera based on similarities of wing venation and other structures. The absence of a pronotal collar was used to separate Orthorhagus from other subgenera within Schizoptera, but morphological and molecular data show that the differences between Orthorhagus species and those of Schizoptera extend beyond the lack of a pronotal collar. In this study, we elevate the subgenus Orthorhagus to generic rank and describe five new species in this genus. We provide morphological documentation including digital habitus images, genitalic drawings, and confocal micrographs for all species. Distribution maps and a key to the species of Orthorhagus, n. stat. are also presented.