Aradidae Research Articles

The complete mitochondrial genome of Taiwanaptera montana (Hemiptera: Aradidae)

Taiwanaptera montana is a apterous flat bug found in Yunnan Province, China. This study is the first to sequence, assemble, and annotate the complete mitochondrial genome of T. montana. The mitochondrial genome of T. montana has a total length of 15615 bp, which is a typical circular DNA, containing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes and a control region, with A + T content of 69.4%. The phenomenon of gene rearrangement was found when the mitochondrial structure was compared with that of other Aradidae. The phylogenetic tree based on 37 mitochondrial genes showed that T. montana was most closely related to Libiocoris heissi. Aneurinae, Carventinae and Mezirinae are monophyletic groups. In addition, the results also confirmed that Aradinae and Calisiinae diverged earliest and were relatively primitive groups.

Review of the flat bug subfamily Calisiinae from Japan, with description of a new genus and four new species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae)

The Calisiinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae) of Japan are revised. Four species, all undescribed, are recognized. A new genus, Nipponocalisius gen. nov., is proposed, containing three new species: N. ishikawanus sp. nov., N. tomokunii sp. nov. and N. dimorphus sp. nov. A new species of Aradosyrtis A. Costa, 1864, A. shonoi sp. nov., is also described.

Calisiomorpha herczeki sp. nov. in Cretaceous Burmese amber (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae).

From inclusion in Cretaceous Burmese amber, a new species of the fossil flat bug genus Calisiomorpha Heiss, 2016, C. herczeki sp. nov., is described and illustrated.

A striking new XXL-size flat bug from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber: Archemezira nuoyichenae sp. nov. (Heteroptera, Aradidae)

The mid-Cretaceous amber deposits in Northern Myanmar yielded to date eleven genera and 14 species of the flat bug family Aradidae. A remarkable large female specimen of a flat bug shares basic characters of the genus Archemezira is supposed to represent a female taxon of this genus and is described and figured herein as Archemezira nuoyichenae sp. nov.

Scanning Electron Microscopy of Antennae and Mouthparts of Mezira yunnana Hsiao (Hemiptera: Aradidae): Specialized Microstructures Reflecting Adaptation to Mycetophagy.

Many species of the family Aradidae (also known as flat bugs) feed on fungal mycelia and fruiting bodies. In order to better understand the morphological adaptation to this unique feeding habit, we examined the microstructure of antennae and mouthparts of an aradid species, Mezira yunnana Hsiao, using scanning electron microscope, and documented the fungal feeding process under laboratory conditions. The antennal sensilla include three subtypes of sensilla trichodea, three subtypes of sensilla basiconica, two subtypes of sensilla chaetica, sensilla campaniformia, and sensilla styloconica. The apex of the second segment of flagellum has a large number of various sensilla forming a sensilla cluster. The labial tip is distally constricted, which is rarely observed in other Pentatomomorpha species. The labial sensilla include three subtypes of sensilla trichodea, three subtypes of sensilla basiconica, and a sensilla campaniformia. The tip of the labium has only three pairs of sensilla basiconica III and small comb-shaped cuticular processes. The external surface of the mandibular apex has 8-10 ridge-like central teeth. A series of key morphological structures associated with mycetophagous feeding habit were identified, which will facilitate future studies on adaptive evolution of species in Pentatomomorpha as well as in other heteropteran lineages.

A remarkable new species of the flat bug genus Nesoproxius (Hemiptera, Aradidae), the first Oceanian representative with brachyptery.

A new flat bug species, Nesoproxiuskishimotoisp. nov., from the Oceanian region (Ogasawara Islands, Japan) is described. It is the first brachypterous representative in the genus Nesoproxius. The sexual dimorphism, nymph, and habitat are also described for the first time in this genus. A key to the species of Nesoproxius is also provided.

The mouthparts of the Aradidae (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera)

The flat bugs, Aradidae, have exceptionally long piercing-sucking stylets coiled up at rest in the anterior part of the head. Previous studies suggested that the majority of aradids can be divided into two groups by the direction of stylet coiling, clockwise or anticlockwise. Detailed reconstruction of the head skeleton and musculature from series of polished sections, examined in SEM, of epon-embedded specimens of three species has shown that these groups represent two disparate modifications of the head groundplan. In Aradus betulae (L.), the stylet coil is accommodated inside the greatly enlarged anteclypeus within an expansible membranous diverticulum of its epipharyngeal cuticle. In contrast, in Isodermus planus Erichson and Carventus brachypterus Kormilev, the coil lies freely underneath the anteclypeus between the extended maxillary lobes (in I. planus fused with the extended gular lobe). The intraclypeal coils occur in the subfamilies Aradinae, Calisiinae, and Chinamyersiinae and the subclypeal coils in Isoderminae, Carventinae, Mezirinae, Aneurinae, Prosympiestinae, and possibly in the closely related family Termitaphididae. Each method of stylet coiling is associated with a suite of divergently specialized structural traits, suggesting that the two groups have independently evolved from ancestors endowed with regular stylets. Functional mechanics of the coiled stylet bundles are discussed.

Pachytylaradus cretaceous gen. et sp. nov. from Burmese amber (Heteroptera, Aradidae)

From the rich mid-Cretaceous amber deposits in Northern Myanmar, which yielded already numerous biological inclusions (Ross, 2019, 2021, 2022), to date the following nine genera of the heteropteran flat bug family Aradidae are recorded: Aradoleptus Heiss, 2016 (1 sp.); Archeaneurus Heiss, 2019 (1sp.); Archearadus Heiss & Grimaldi, 2001 (2 sp.); Archecalisius Heiss, 2019 (1sp.); Calisiomorpha Heiss 2016 (1sp.); Cretopiesma Grimaldi & Engel, 2008 (4 sp.); Ellenbergeria Heiss, 2016 (1sp.); Kachinocoris Heiss, 2012 (1sp.); Myanmezira Heiss & Poinar, 2012; (Heiss & Grimaldi, 2001; Grimaldi & Engel, 2008; Heiss, 2012, 2016, 2019a, b; Heiss & Poinar, 2012; Azar et al., 2020).

Pachytylaradus cretaceous gen. et sp. nov. from Burmese amber (Heteroptera, Aradidae)

From the rich mid-Cretaceous amber deposits in Northern Myanmar, which yielded already numerous biological inclusions (Ross, 2019, 2021, 2022), to date the following nine genera of the heteropteran flat bug family Aradidae are recorded: Aradoleptus Heiss, 2016 (1 sp.); Archeaneurus Heiss, 2019 (1sp.); Archearadus Heiss & Grimaldi, 2001 (2 sp.); Archecalisius Heiss, 2019 (1sp.); Calisiomorpha Heiss 2016 (1sp.); Cretopiesma Grimaldi & Engel, 2008 (4 sp.); Ellenbergeria Heiss, 2016 (1sp.); Kachinocoris Heiss, 2012 (1sp.); Myanmezira Heiss & Poinar, 2012; (Heiss & Grimaldi, 2001; Grimaldi & Engel, 2008; Heiss, 2012, 2016, 2019a, b; Heiss & Poinar, 2012; Azar et al., 2020).

A new species of the flat bug genus Aneurus from Japan (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae).

A new aneurine flat bug species, Aneurus (Aneurodes) taterasanus sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae), is described from western and southwestern Japan, as the fifth species of the subgenus Aneurodes Heiss, 1998, and the first record of the subgenus from the country. The structure of the phallus of this new species with the endosoma everted and inflated is documented in detail for the first time in the subfamily Aneurinae. A key to species of the subgenus Aneurodes and another one to species of the genera Aneurus Curtis, 1825 and Paraneurus Jacobs, 1986 occurring in Japan are provided.

New genus and species of apterous Carventinae from Costa Rica and Grenada (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Aradidae).

Only three species assigned to two genera of the flat bug subfamily Carventinae Usinger, 1950 are recorded to date from Costa Rica and one genus and species from Grenada. Following apterous carventine taxa are described and illustrated in the present paper: Joceliaptera graziae gen. et sp. nov.; Peggicoris cahuitanus sp. nov.; Peggicoris grenadensis sp. nov. Joceliaptera gen. nov. is compared with most similar Neotropical genera. A key to species of Peggicoris is presented.

The invisibile becomes visible: X-ray micro-CT reconstruction of emAneurus/em emdamzeni/em sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae) from Eocene Baltic amber.

The subfamily Aneurinae of the flat bug family Aradidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) contains about 150 extant species assigned to seven genera, and seven fossil species of which six were described from Eocene Baltic amber and one from Cretaceous Burmese amber. A new species Aneurus damzeni sp. nov. from Baltic amber is described and illustrated using X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) reconstructing concealed morphological characters. A key to all five extant and fossil Aneurinae species with triangular scutellum is provided.

New State Records For Some Flat Bugs (Heteroptera: Aradidae) of the United States

New State Records For Some Flat Bugs (Heteroptera: Aradidae) of the United States

True bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) associated with dead wood in exotic Pinus radiata plantations in New Zealand

ABSTRACT This paper reports the true bugs (Heteroptera) collected during a large-scale study of saproxylic insects in exotic pine plantations in New Zealand, reared from Pinus radiata dead wood in the central North Island in 2009–2010. Although only seven species were collected in total, the observations of two flightless flat bug (Aradidae) species indicate that exotic pine forests may provide alternative habitat for dispersal-limited endemic forest invertebrates. An important finding is the first New Zealand record of the Australian aradid Glochocoris monteithi. Assuming this find represents the existence of an established local population, this would be only the third documented case of a flat bug successfully establishing in another major zoological realm.

A Record of Aneurus avenius in the Perm Region and Data on the Distribution of Flat Bugs (Heteroptera: Aradidae) in the Urals and Adjacent Territories

В Пермском крае (г. Пермь) впервые найден клоп-подкорник Aneurus avenius (Dufour, 1833) (Heteroptera: Aradidae). Представлены сведения о распространении 23 видов клопов сем. Aradidae на Урале и в сопредельных областях Европейской России и Западной Сибири.

Paracremastaptera, a new apterous genus of Mezirinae from China (Hemiptera: Aradidae).

A new apterous flat bug genus and species, Paracremastaptera ximaensis Bai, Heiss Cai, gen. nov. and sp. nov., is described from Yunnan, China. The diagnostic morphological features of the new genus and species are illustrated.

A new apterous genus of Carventinae from Hainan, China (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae).

A new apterous genus and species of flat bugs, Neolibiocoris obtusus gen. nov. and sp. nov., and an additional new species, Rotundocoris pyramidalis sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae: Carventinae), are described from Hainan Island, China. The diagnostic morphological features of the new genus and species are discussed and illustrated. A revised key to apterous genera of Carventinae from Hainan Island is presented.

Teratological cases of the antennae in the family Aradidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera)

Teratological cases of the antennae in the family Aradidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) are widely described for the first time. Four hundred seventy-six specimens of flat bugs were studied, and antennal malformations were found in 14 of them (2.94%) (belonging to eight species and three subfamilies: Aradinae, Aneurinae and Mezirinae). All of the teratologies were observed using optical microscopy; moreover, in order to determine any compensatory regeneration, selected cases were also studied using a scanning electron microscope. In almost all of the specimens, the successful regeneration of the sensory organs to various degrees was observed. Additional results were the discovery of a previously unrecognized type of sensillum in flat bugs – a campaniform sensillum as well as significant differences in the distribution of the sensilla depending on the systematic affiliation.

First North American Records of the Eastern Palearctic Flat Bug Mezira subsetosa Josifov and Kerzhner (Hemiptera: Aradidae: Mezirinae) from the Mid-Atlantic States and Northern Georgia, with a Redescription, Diagnosis, and a Revised Key to the U.S. Species of Mezira

Mezira subsetosa Josifov and Kerzhner, a mezirine aradid native to the East Palearctic Region, is newly reported from North America. Beginning in 2015, by-catch specimens were extracted from Lindgren funnel trap samples in Maryland as part of a state surveillance program monitoring for the presence of exotic bark and ambrosia beetles and other wood-boring insects. This is the first confirmed record of this aradid in the New World. Subsequent collections from similar pest surveillance trapping in Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia, coupled with verifiable online images of M. subsetosa photographed at various locations in the District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, support the establishment of this species in the Mid-Atlantic states. A diagnosis, redescription, high-resolution images of the adult male and female, and a revised key to U.S. species of Mezira are provided.

Same Principles but Different Purposes: Passive Fluid Handling throughout the Animal Kingdom.

Everything on earth is subject to physical laws, thus they influence all facets of living creatures. Although these laws restrain animals in many ways, some animals have developed a way to use physical phenomena in their favor to conserve energy. Many animals, which have to handle fluids, for example, have evolved passive mechanisms by adapting their wettability or using capillary forces for rapid fluid spreading. In distinct animals, a similar selection pressure always favors a convergent development. However, when assessing the biological tasks of passive fluid handling mechanisms, their diversity is rather surprising. Besides the well-described handling of water to facilitate drinking in arid regions, observed in, e.g., several lizards, other animals like a special flat bug have developed a similar mechanism for a completely different task and fluid: Instead of water, these bugs passively transport an oily defense secretion to a region close to their head where it finally evaporates. And again some spiders use capillary forces to capture prey, by sucking in the viscous waxy cuticle of their prey with their nanofibrous threads. This review highlights the similarities and differences in the deployed mechanisms of passive fluid handling across the animal kingdom. Besides including well-studied animals to point out different mechanisms in general, we stretch over to not as extensively studied species for which similar mechanisms are described for different tasks. Thus, we provide an extensive overview of animals for which passive fluid handling is described so far as well as for future inspiration.