As predaceous insects, the Asopinae have a great economic importance. The knowledge about the development of the species is essential for use in biological control programs. However, only 1% of the Neotropical Asopinae species have the immature stages known. In this work we describe the egg and the five nymphal stages of Podisus graziae Brugnera, Roell & Lemaître, 2021 using light and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that P. graziae eggs and nymphs present unique characters which are not observed in other species of the genus and subfamily. As other Podisus species, the egg present long aero-mycropilar processes, however, the chorion and operculum have a ring of minute spine-like projections. As main diagnostic characters of nymphs, the iridescent coloration of head, thorax and abdominal plates, and a pair of yellow spots in the pronotum and anterior region of abdomen are noticed.
The Asopinae comprises about 300 species and 63 genera of predatory stinkbugs, of which around 100 species and 23 genera occur in the Neotropical region. The species of the Neotropical genus Heteroscelis Latreille, 1829 are easily recognized by the small size, vivid and often iridescent colors, the elongated head, and the foretibial foliaceous expansions. In this work we provide a taxonomic revision of Heteroscelis. The genus and its four known species are redescribed, and one new species from Colombia, Heteroscelis vandembergi Sampaio & Campos, sp.nov., is proposed. A distribution map, and a key to the species of Heteroscelis are presented.
When examining specimens of the Janeirona Distant, 1911 clade of Ochlerini (Discocephalinae) we found males and females of two undescribed species. Though clearly similar to the genera in the Janeirona clade, these two species lack the diagnostic characteristics of any of them. We made a cladistic analysis to verify the placement of the two new species in Discocephalinae. A total of 38 taxa and 60 morphological characters were included in the analysis. Character polarization followed the outgroup comparison method, and the most parsimonious trees were calculated in TNT using an implied weighting approach. The analysis resulted in one most parsimonious tree where the two new species form a monophyletic group within the Ochlerini, sister to Janeirona. We propose Paropsocolis Sampaio & Campos, gen. nov. for the two new species Paropsocolis convergens Sampaio & Campos, sp. nov. and Paropsocolis divergens Sampaio & Campos, sp. nov.. The new genus is recognized by having an inconspicuous labial intercalary segment, metasternum anteriorly carinated, parameres with a basal dish-shaped process and a bifurcated apex, theca with one apical ventral process, endosoma with one dorsal and one ventral processes, laterotergites IX surpassing the mediotergite VIII, and thickening of vaginal intima circular. P. convergens Sampaio & Campos, sp. nov. and P. divergens Sampaio & Campos, sp. nov. are described to Brazil. A distributional map is provided.
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