Infraorder Pentatomomorpha Research Articles

A preliminary phylogeny of the Pentatomomorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) based on nuclear 18S rDNA and mitochondrial DNA sequences

Pentatomomorpha is the second suborder in size only to Cimicomorpha in Heteroptera. However, the phylogenetic relationships among members of the suborder are not well established. Sequences from partial nuclear ribosomal 18S gene and mitochondrial COX1 gene were analyzed separately and in combination to generate a preliminary molecular phylogeny of Pentatomomorpha based on 40 species representing 17 putative families. Analyses of the combined sequence data provided a better-resolved and more robust hypothesis of Pentatomomorpha phylogeny than did separate analyses of the individual genes. The phylogenies were mostly congruent with morphological studies. Results strongly supported the monophyly of the infraorder Pentatomomorpha, and the placement of Aradoidea as sister to Trichophora. The monophyletic Trichophora was grouped into two major lineages, one being the superfamily Pentatomoidea, and the other comprising Lygaeoidea, Coreoidea, and Pyrrhocoroidea. The analysis of the ML and ME trees of combined dataset supported the monophyletic Pentatomoidea. In all analysis the Pyrrhocoroidea was polyphyletic; the monophyletic Lygaeoidea was supported only in the analysis of ME tree, and Coreoidea was polyphyletic except in the MP tree of combined dataset. The molecular and morphylogical data both indicated that the family Coreoidae should be revised subsequently. Our phylogenetic results suggested that the COX1 segment alone might not be an optimal molecular marker for the phylogeny of Pentatomomorpha.

Phylogenetic Analysis of Family Groups within the Infraorder Pentatomomorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), with Emphasis on the Lygaeoidea

Thirty-four family group taxa and 57 characters are used to analyze cladistically the heteropteran infraorder Pentatomomorpha. Recognized are the 6 superfamilies Aradoidea, Coreoidea, Idiostoloidea, Lygaeoidea, Pentatomoidea, and Pyrrhocoroidea. New superfamily associations include the transfer of the Henicocorinae to Idiostoloidea, Piesmatoidea to Lygaeoidea, and the lygaeid subfamily Psamminae to Piesmatidae. The family Lygaeidae (sensu lato) is shown to be paraphyletic and is separated into 11 monophyletic family groups (Artheneidae, Blissidae, Cryptorhamphidae, Cymidae (sensu stricto), Geocoridae, Heterogastridae, Lygaeidae (sensu stricto), Ninidae, Oxycarenidae, Pachygronthidae, and Rhyparochromidae). Relationships are discussed, a revised classification is proposed, and keys to 6 superfamilies and 15 families included in Lygaeoidea are provided.