Systematic revision and phylogeny of the plant bug tribe Monaloniini (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae: Bryocorinae) of the world

Abstract

A systematic revision, redescription and a first generic conspectus on a worldwide basis of the scarcely studied plant bug tribe Monaloniini (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae: Bryocorinae) is given. This reclassification is of great significance to agriculture as some monaloniines are major pests of cocoa, cashew, tea and other foodplants. A key to genera is given, as well as generic diagnoses and descriptions, photographs, scanning electron micrographs, illustration of male and female genitalia, host plant information and distributional maps. This reclassification is based on a phylogenetic analysis of external and genitalic characters, with 118 species and 32 genera codified. The phylogenetic analysis resulted in the recognition of a monophyletic Monaloniini, and strongly supported non-monophyly of the previously recognized subtribes Monaloniina and Odoniellina, resulting in the rejection of a formal subtribal classification for the tribe. The following new synonymy is recognized: Boxia (= Boxiopsis syn. nov.), Chamus (= Chamopsis syn. nov., Parachamus syn. nov.), Volkeliopsis (= Mircarvalhoia syn. nov.), Platyngomiris (= Platyngomiriodes syn. nov.), Platyngomiris coreoides (= Platyngomiriodes apliformis syn. nov.), Lycidocoris (= Pantilioforma syn. nov.). Afropeltis is raised to full generic status. Onconotellus and Pachypeltopsis are transferred to the Orthotylinae and Deraeocorinae, respectively. Volkeliopsis mindanao sp. nov. is described as new to science. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London