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Heteroptera (the true bugs), one of the most diverse lineages of insects, diversified in feeding strategies and living habitats, and thus become an ideal lineage for studies on adaptive evolution. Chinese water scorpion Ranatra chinensis (Heteroptera: Nepidae) is a predaceous bug living in lentic water systems, representing an ideal model for studying habitat transition and adaptation to water environment. However, genetic studies on this water bug remain limited. Here, we obtained a chromosome-level genome of R. chinensis using PacBio HiFi long reads and Hi-C sequencing reads. The total assembly size of genome is 867.89 Mb, with a scaffold N50 length of 26.48 Mb and the GC content of 39.50%. All contigs were assembled into 23 pseudo-chromosomes (N = 19 A + X1X2X3X4), and we predicted 18,424 protein-coding genes in this genome. This study will provide valuable genomic resources for future studies on the biology, water adaptation, and genome evolution of water bugs., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The Australian species of the genus Ectomocoris Mayr, 1865 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Peiratinae), are revised. A total of 13 species are recognised, including nine new species: E. binotatus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., E. borealis Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., E. fuscatus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., E. fuscifemoralis Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., E. interiorius Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., E. latus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., E. luteolus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., E. major Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov. and E. spinosus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov. Redescriptions of E. australicus (Reuter, 1881), E. decoratus (Stål, 1863), E. ornatus (Stål, 1863) and E. truculentus (Stål, 1863) are presented. Callisphodrus patricius Stål, 1867 is treated as a new junior synonym of E. ornatus (Stål, 1863). Lectotypes are designated for Eumerus (Eumerus) australicus Reuter, 1881, Pirates decoratus Stål, 1863, P. ornatus Stål, 1863, P. truculentus Stål, 1863 and C. patricius Stål, 1867. A key to species is provided together with images of dorsal habitus of males and females of different wing forms and major structures of the male genitalia to assist distinguishing these species. Based on morphology, brief comments are provided on putative species groups within the studied species. A male extragenital structure, present in almost half of the species studied, is described in detail and its potential value in diagnosis and analysis of phylogenetic relationships within the genus as well as between related peiratine genera is discussed.

Coridius chinensis (Hemiptera: Dinidoridae) is a medicinal insect. Its mitochondrial gene arrangement is consistent with that of Drosophila melanogaster and Erthesina fullo , the two insects with well-studied mitochondrial transcription. To investigate whether the structural consistency of mitochondrial genes leads to similarities in transcription and post-transcriptional processing, we improved the gene annotation and constructed a quantitative transcription map for the C. chinensis mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) using full-length transcriptome sequencing. The size of this mitogenome was 16,214 bp and the proposed model of mitochondrial transcription was similar to that of Drosophila . Both strands were nearly entirely transcribed except for the antisense genes downstream of trnS2 on N strand. The expression of cytochrome c subunit genes is higher than that of NADH-dehydrogenase subunit genes. The post-transcriptional cleavage process followed the "tRNA punctuation" model, and both the "reverse cleavage" model in Drosophila and "forward cleavage" model in E. fullo were found in C. chinensis . In addition, we found that long non-coding RNAs from the control region contained tandem repeats. Polyadenylation was performed after CCA triplet at the 3' end of tRNA. The isoform diversity of lrRNA was identified. Our study sheds light on the transcriptional regulation and RNA processing of insect mitogenomes with the putative ancestral gene arrangement.

Based on the examination of the type specimens, the following new subjective synonymy is proposed in the Neotropical assassin bug genus Seridentus Osborn, 1904: S. denticulatus Osborn, 1904 = Gnathobleda maculosa Haviland, 1931, syn. nov. Lectotypes of the two nominal species are designated. The type depositories of S. denticulatus, obscurely given in the original description of this species, are confirmed to be the C.A. Triplehorn Insect Collection, Ohio State University, Columbus and the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco. A new species, S. musettiae sp. nov., is described from Cartago, Costa Rica, representing the northernmost distribution record of the genus. A revised key to the species of Seridentus is provided., (© 2022. Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil.)

An annotated catalogue is presented for the type specimens of the peiratine Reduviidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) preserved in the Musum National dHistoire Naturelle (MNHN), Paris, France. The Peiratinae collection in MNHN contains type specimens representing 58 nominal species and five varieties (including 48 species and one subspecies currently recognized as valid) of 16 genera. The great majority of the type specimens concerns taxa described by Andr Villiers and Ren Jeannel; there are also several type specimens representing species described by Johann Christian Fabricius, Gustave Fallou and, more recently, Jean-Michel Brenger. The information provided for each taxon and its type specimens includes: original data, type status, label information, type locality, current status and related remarks. Colour images of representative types and their labels are also provided. Specimens of four additional peiratine species, erroneously labelled as Type, are also listed.

Pentatomoidea is the largest superfamily of Pentatomomorpha; however, the phylogenetic relationships among pentatomoid families have been debated for a long time. In the present study, we gathered the mitogenomes of 55 species from eight common families (Acanthosomatidae, Cydnidae, Dinidoridae, Scutelleridae, Tessaratomidae, Plataspidae, Urostylididae and Pentatomidae), including 20 newly sequenced mitogenomes, and conducted comparative mitogenomic studies with an emphasis on the structures of non-coding regions. Heterogeneity in the base composition, and contrasting evolutionary rates were encountered among the mitogenomes in Pentatomoidea, especially in Urostylididae, which may lead to unstable phylogenetic topologies. When the family Urostylididae is excluded in taxa sampling or the third codon positions of protein coding genes are removed, phylogenetic analyses under site-homogenous models could provide more stable tree topologies. However, the relationships between families remained the same in all PhyloBayes analyses under the site-heterogeneous mixture model CAT + GTR with different datasets and were recovered as (Cydnidae + (((Tessaratomidae + Dinidoridae) + (Plataspidae + Scutelleridae)) + ((Acanthosomatidae + Urostylididae) + Pentatomidae)))). Our study showed that data optimizing strategies after heterogeneity assessments based on denser sampling and the use of site-heterogeneous mixture models are essential for further analysis of the phylogenetic relationships of Pentatomoidea.

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 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.

The African peiratine assassin bug species, Ectomocoris proximus Miller, 1952 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) is redescribed and E. limbatus Miller, 1952, syn. nov., is placed as its junior synonym. Types of both nominal species were examined, habitus images and figures of the male genitalia are provided.

A new apterous genus and species, Oblongocoris hainanensis gen. and sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae: Carventinae), are described from Hainan, China. The diagnostic morphological features of the new genus and species are discussed and illustrated, and a key to genera of Carventinae from Hainan Island is presented.

Rihirbus kronganaensis sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) is described from central highlands of Vietnam. A key to the species of Rihirbus Stål, 1861 is presented.

The assassin bug subfamily Holoptilinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) is recorded from Pakistan for the first time. Holoptilus fasciatus Reuter, 1881, newly recorded from Pakistan, is redescribed, its dorsal habitus and diagnostic morphological characters are illustrated.

A new apterous genus, Rotundocoris gen. nov., and two included new species, R. stenonotum sp. nov. and R. obliquonotum sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae: Carventinae), are described from Hainan, China. The diagnostic morphological features of the genus and its two species are discussed and illustrated.

Pigmentation plays a vital role in insect survival and reproduction. Many melanin pathway genes have been studied in holometabolous insects; however, they have only been studied in two hemimetabolous insect genera, Oncopeltus and Periplaneta . Here we analyzed three melanin pathway genes ( TH , yellow , and aaNAT ) using RNA interference (RNAi) in another hemimetabolous insect, namely the twin-spotted assassin bug, Platymeris biguttatus . TH was highly expressed in freshly molted nymphs and adults. TH RNAi resulted in a complete loss of black pigment, with yellow coloration maintained. Therefore, black pigment in this assassin bug is solely generated from the melanin pathway, whereas yellow pigment is generated from other unknown pigmentation pathways. yellow and aaNAT were highly expressed in the white spot of the hemelytra. Downregulation of yellow caused a brown phenotype with high mortality, indicating an important role of yellow functions in cuticle formation and in the process of converting melanin from brown to black. Interestingly, aaNAT RNAi caused not only loss of white pigment, but also loss of yellow and red pigments. This phenotype of aaNAT has not been reported in other insects. Our results provide new information for understanding the melanin pathway in which aaNAT is essential for the formation of colorless patterns.

A new apterous genus, Neocrassocoris gen. nov., with two new species, N. pingbianensis sp. nov. and N. longzhouensis sp. nov. (Heteroptera: Aradidae: Carventinae), are described from Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces of China. The diagnostic morphological features of both taxa are described and illustrated.

In China, most research on shore bugs (Hemiptera: Leptopodomorpha: Saldidae) has been conducted intermittently during the second half of the 19th century. Records from the literature supplemented by our collections were used to construct an annotated list of 50 species in 13 genera and 2 subfamilies (Chiloxanthinae and Saldinae) of Saldidae now known from China. This paper also presents new distributional records and color plates depicting 26 species. Further, a list of 12 species of Saldidae known in neighboring territories that might occur in China is presented.

Based on new topotypical material, the apterous carventine genus Crassocoris Bai, Heiss Cai, 2007 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae) with the type species C. hsiaoi Bai, Heiss Cai, 2007, is redescribed. A new, closely related apterous genus and species, Paracrassocoris hekouensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is described from Hainan, China. The diagnostic morphological features of both taxa are described and illustrated.

A new apterous genus and species of Aradidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), Bifurcatoaptera lamdongensis gen. et sp. nov., is described from Vietnam. The diagnostic morphological features of the new species are described and illustrated.

Mitochondrial phylogenomics is often controversial, in particular for inferring deep relationships. The recent rapid increase of mitochondrial genome data provides opportunities for better phylogenetic estimates and assessment of potential biases resulting from heterogeneity in nucleotide composition and mutation rates. Here, we gathered 76 mitochondrial genome sequences for Heteroptera representing all seven infraorders, including 17 newly sequenced mitochondrial genomes. We found strong heterogeneity in base composition and contrasting evolutionary rates among heteropteran mitochondrial genomes, which affected analyses with various datasets and partitioning schemes under site-homogeneous models and produced false groupings of unrelated taxa exhibiting similar base composition and accelerated evolutionary rates. Bayesian analyses using a site-heterogeneous mixture CAT+GTR model showed high congruence of topologies with the currently accepted phylogeny of Heteroptera. The results confirm the monophyly of the six infraorders within Heteroptera, except for Cimicomorpha which was recovered as two paraphyletic clades. The monophyly of Terheteroptera (Cimicomorpha and Pentatomomorpha) and Panheteroptera (Nepomorpha, Leptopodomorpha and Terheteroptera) was recovered demonstrating a significant improvement over previous studies using mitochondrial genome data. Our study shows the power of the site-heterogeneous mixture models for resolving phylogenetic relationships with Heteroptera and provides one more case showing that model adequacy is critical for accurate tree reconstruction in mitochondrial phylogenomics., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Hemiptera, the largest non-holometabolous order of insects, represents approximately 7% of metazoan diversity. With extraordinary life histories and highly specialized morphological adaptations, hemipterans have exploited diverse habitats and food sources through approximately 300 Myr of evolution. To elucidate the phylogeny and evolutionary history of Hemiptera, we carried out the most comprehensive mitogenomics analysis on the richest taxon sampling to date covering all the suborders and infraorders, including 34 newly sequenced and 94 published mitogenomes. With optimized branch length and sequence heterogeneity, Bayesian analyses using a site-heterogeneous mixture model resolved the higher-level hemipteran phylogeny as (Sternorrhyncha, (Auchenorrhyncha, (Coleorrhyncha, Heteroptera))). Ancestral character state reconstruction and divergence time estimation suggest that the success of true bugs (Heteroptera) is probably due to angiosperm coevolution, but key adaptive innovations (e.g. prognathous mouthpart, predatory behaviour, and haemelytron) facilitated multiple independent shifts among diverse feeding habits and multiple independent colonizations of aquatic habitats., (© 2017 The Authors.)

Recent development and advancement of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have enabled the determination of mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) at extremely efficiency. In this study, complete or partial mitogenomes for 19 cicadomorphan species and six fulgoroid species were reconstructed by using the method of high-throughput sequencing from pooled DNA samples. Annotation analyses showed that the mitogenomes obtained have the typical insect mitogenomic content and structure. Combined with the existing hemipteran mitogenomes, a series of datasets with all 37 mitochondrial genes (up to 14,381 nt total) under different coding schemes were compiled to test previous hypotheses of deep-level phylogeny of Cicadomorpha. Thirty-seven species representing Cicadomorpha constituted the ingroup. A taxon sampling with nine species from Fulgoroidea and six from Heteroptera comprised the outgroup. The phylogenetic reconstructions congruently recovered the monophyly of each superfamily within Cicadomorpha. Furthermore, the hypothesis (Membracoidea + (Cicadoidea + Cercopoidea)) was strongly supported under the heterogeneous CAT model.

A new brachypterous flat bug (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae) genus and species, Pseudowuiessa producta Bai, Heiss & Cai, gen. nov. & sp. nov., is described from Yunnan, China. A key to related genera is given and the diagnostic characters of the new taxon are illustrated.

Epidaus wangi Chen, Zhu, Wang & Cai, sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) from Tibet, China, is described and illustrated based on male and female specimens. The new species is morphologically similar to E. tuberosus Yang, 1940. The new species represents the first record of Epidaus species from Tibet.

The plant bug, Nesidiocoris tenuis (Hemiptera: Miridae), is one of the most thermophilous dicyphines in agroecosystems and is widely distributed in China. Little is known regarding the genetic structure of N. tenuis and the effect of historical climatic fluctuations on N. tenuis populations. We analyzed partial sequences of three mitochondrial protein-coding genes (COI, ND2 and CytB) and nuclear genes (5.8S, ITS2 and 28S) for 516 specimens collected from 37 localities across China. Analyses of the combined mitochondrial dataset indicated that the Southwestern China group (SWC) was significantly differentiated from the remaining populations, other Chinese group (OC). Asymmetric migration and high level of gene flow across a long distance within the OC group was detected. The long-distance dispersal of N. tenuis might be affected by air currents and human interference. Both the neutrality tests and mismatch distributions revealed the occurrence of historical population expansion. Bayesian skyline plot analyses with two different substitution rates indicated that N. tenuis might follow the post-LGM (the Last Glacial Maximum) expansion pattern for temperate species. Pleistocene climatic fluctuation, complicated topography and anthropogenic factors, along with other ecological factors (e.g. temperature and air current) might have accounted for the current population structure of N. tenuis.

The mitochondrial genome of a flat bug, Brachyrhynchus hsiaoi (Blöte), is a typical circular DNA molecule of 15,250 bp with 37 genes and 70.4% A + T content. The gene order is different from that of the putative ancestral arrangement of insects with a tRNA gene rearrangement, trnQ-trnI. This rearrangement has been found in other sequenced flat bugs and is likely synapomorphic for the Aradidae or some subgroup within this family. Ten protein-coding genes start with ATN codon and others use TTG. All the 22 tRNAs, ranging from 61 to 70 bp, have the clover-leaf structure except for the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm of trnS1 forms a simple loop. The sizes of the large and small ribosomal RNA genes are 1245 and 808 bp, respectively. The control region is located between rrnS and trnQ with 703 bp in length and 69.8% A + T content.

The mitochondrial genome of Adelphocoris fasciaticollis Reuter, an important pest plant bug, is a typical circular DNA molecule of 15,434 bp with 37 genes and 77.4% A + T content. Twenty-three genes are located on the J-strand, the remaining being oriented on the N-strand. Gene order is identical to that of the typical arrangement of insects and other plant bugs. This genome is highly economized with 54 overlapped nucleotides between neighboring genes in 12 locations. All protein-coding genes initiate with ATN codons. All of the 22 tRNAs, ranging from 62 to 71 bp, have the clover-leaf structure. Two tRNAs, trnK and trnS1, use the non-standard anticodons TTT and TCT. The sizes of the large and small ribosomal RNA genes are 1229 and 793 bp, respectively. The control region is 922 bp in length with 78.2% A + T content and includes two 30-bp repeat units and two 35-bp repeat units.

Phylogeographic patterns of some extant plant and vertebrate species have been well studied; however, they are poorly understood in the majority of insects. The study documents analysis of mitochondrial (COI, CYTB and ND5) and nuclear (5.8S rDNA, ITS2 and 28S rDNA) data from 419 individuals of Adelphocoris suturalis, which is one of the main cotton pests found in the 31 locations in China and Japan involved in the study. Results show that the species is highly differentiated between populations from central China and peripheral China regions. Analysis of molecular variance showed a high level of geographical differentiation at different hierarchical levels. Isolation-by-distance test showed no significant correlation between genetic distance and geographical distance among A. suturalis populations, which suggested gene flow is not restricted by distance. In seven peripheral populations, the high levels of genetic differentiation and the small Nem values implied that geographic barriers were more likely restrict gene flow. Neutrality tests and the Bayesian skyline plot suggested population expansion likely happened during the cooling transition between Last Interglacial and Last Glacial Maximum. All lines of evidence suggest that physical barriers, Pleistocene climatic oscillations and geographical heterogeneity have affected the population structure and distribution of this insect in China.

To date, only the type species Lissonotocoris membranaceus Usinger & Matsuda 1959 is known and recorded from Vietnam and China, Hainan Island. Four new species of the previously monotypic genus Lissonotocoris are described and figured: loebli n.sp. (Thailand), glabronotus n.sp. (N.Vietnam), pachycerus n.sp. (Malaysia) and siamensis n.sp. (Thailand). A key for the identification of all 5 species is provided.

Blood-feeding insects, as vectors of disease for humans and livestock alike, have garnered significant interest, but our understanding of their early evolution is hindered by the scarcity of available material and the difficulty in distinguishing early hematophages from non-blood-feeding relatives. Here, we report a new family of true bugs including two new genera and species from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation in Northeastern China. By utilizing geochemical methods for determining their diets and combining morphological and taphonomic data, we demonstrate that these new species represent the earliest evidence of blood feeding among true bugs, extending the geological record of such lineages by approximately 30 million years. Remarkably, one of the bugs appears to have perished immediately following a blood meal, which may have been from coexisting mammals, birds, or avian-related dinosaurs. These records expand the phylogenetic and ecological diversity of blood-feeding insects in the Early Cretaceous, enriching our knowledge of paleoecological associations in these ancient environments., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A new apterous flat bug genus of the subfamily Carventinae, Trichosomaptera n.gen., is described and illustrated to accommodate gibbosa n. sp. from Vietnam. The species could not be placed in any known genus.

A new micropterous flat bug genus, Longitergus n.gen. with the species productus n.sp. and similis n.sp. from Vietnam, is described. A key to related Oriental genera is given and the diagnostic morphological characters of the new genus and species are illustrated.

An updated list of Iranian Reduvioidea Latreille (families Pachynomidae, Reduviidae) is presented and discussed in this paper. For Iranian fauna, there are records of one species of Pachynomidae and 109 species and subspecies of assassin bugs (Reduviidae) distributed in 24 genera and subgenera, and seven subfamilies, Emesinae, Harpactorinae, Holoptilinae, Peiratinae, Phymatinae, Reduviinae, and Stenopodainae. We report 6 new country records and one new species, Empicoris baerensprungi (Dohrn, 1863) for Asian fauna. Synonyms and distribution data are also given.

The 16,299 bp long mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of a tessaratomid bug, Eusthenes cupreus (Westwood), is reported and analyzed. The mitogenome represents the first sequenced complete mitogenome of the heteropteran family Tessaratomidae. The mitogenome of E. cuopreus is a typical circular DNA molecule with a total AT content of 74.1%, and contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and a control region. The gene arrangement is identical with the most common type in insects. Most PCGs start with the typical ATN codon, except that the initiation codon for COI is TTG. All tRNAs possess the typical clover-leaf structure, except tRNASer(AGN), in which the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm forms a simple loop. Six domains with 45 helices and three domains with 27 helices are predicted in the secondary structures of rrnL and rrnS, respectively. The control region is located between rrnS and tRNA(Ile), including some short microsatellite repeat sequences. In addition, three different repetitive sequences are found in the control region and the tRNA(Ile)-tRNA(Gln)-tRNA(Met)-ND2 gene cluster. One of the unusual features of this mitogenome is the presence of one tRNA(Gln)-like sequence in the control region. This extra tRNA(Gln)-like sequence is 73 bp long, and the anticodon arm is identical to that of the regular tRNA(Gln).

Background: Nabidae, a family of predatory heteropterans, includes two subfamilies and five tribes. We previously reported the complete mitogenome of Alloeorhynchus bakeri, a representative of the tribe Prostemmatini in the subfamily Prostemmatinae. To gain a better understanding of architecture and evolution of mitogenome in Nabidae, mitogenomes of five species representing two tribes (Gorpini and Nabini) in the subfamily Nabinae were sequenced, and a comparative mitogenomic analysis of three nabid tribes in two subfamilies was carried out., Methodology/principal Findings: Nabid mitogenomes share a similar nucleotide composition and base bias, except for the control region, where differences are observed at the subfamily level. In addition, the pattern of codon usage is influenced by the GC content and consistent with the standard invertebrate mitochondrial genetic code and the preference for A+T-rich codons. The comparison among orthologous protein-coding genes shows that different genes have been subject to different rates of molecular evolution correlated with the GC content. The stems and anticodon loops of tRNAs are extremely conserved, and the nucleotide substitutions are largely restricted to TψC and DHU loops and extra arms, with insertion-deletion polymorphisms. Comparative analysis shows similar rates of substitution between the two rRNAs. Long non-coding regions are observed in most Gorpini and Nabini mtDNAs in-between trnI-trnQ and/or trnS2-nad1. The lone exception, Nabis apicalis, however, has lost three tRNAs. Overall, phylogenetic analysis using mitogenomic data is consistent with phylogenies constructed mainly form morphological traits., Conclusions/significance: This comparative mitogenomic analysis sheds light on the architecture and evolution of mitogenomes in the family Nabidae. Nucleotide diversity and mitogenomic traits are phylogenetically informative at subfamily level. Furthermore, inclusion of a broader range of samples representing various taxonomic levels is critical for the understanding of mitogenomic evolution in damsel bugs.

The complete sequence of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of the damsel bug, Alloeorhynchus bakeri, has been completed and annotated in this study. It represents the first sequenced mitochondrial genome of heteropteran family Nabidae. The circular genome is 15, 851 bp in length with an A+T content of 73.5%, contains the typical 37 genes that are arranged in the same order as that of the putative ancestor of hexapods. Nucleotide composition and codon usage are similar to other known heteropteran mitochondrial genomes. All protein-coding genes (PCGs) use standard initiation codons (methionine and isoleucine), except COI, which started with TTG. Canonical TAA and TAG termination codons are found in eight protein-coding genes, the remaining five (COI, COII, COIII, ND5, ND1) have incomplete termination codons (T or TA). PCGs of two strands present opposite CG skew which is also reflected by the nucleotide composition and codon usage. All tRNAs have the typical clover-leaf structure, except the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm of tRNA(Ser (AGN))which forms a simple loop as known in many other metazoa. Secondary structure models of the ribosomal RNA genes of A. bakeri are presented, similar to those proposed for other insect orders. There are six domains and 45 helices and three domains and 27 helices in the secondary structures of rrnL and rrnS, respectively. The major non-coding region (also called control region) between the small ribosomal subunit and the tRNA(Ile )gene includes two special regions. The first region includes four 133 bp tandem repeat units plus a partial copy of the repeat (28 bp of the beginning), and the second region at the end of control region contains 4 potential stem-loop structures. Finally, PCGs sequences were used to perform a phylogenetic study. Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses highly support Nabidae as the sister group to Anthocoridae and Miridae.

Background: An extinct new family of Pentatomomorpha, Venicoridae Yao, Ren & Cai fam. nov., with 2 new genera and 2 new species (Venicoris solaris Yao, Ren & Rider gen. & sp. nov. and Clavaticoris zhengi Yao, Ren & Cai gen. & sp. nov.) are described from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation in Northeast China., Methodology/principal Findings: A cladistic analysis based on a combination of fossil and extant morphological characters clarified the phylogenetic status of the new family and has allowed the reconstruction of intersuperfamily and interfamily relationships within the Infraorder Pentatomomorpha. The fossil record and diversity of Pentatomomorpha during the Mesozoic is discussed., Conclusions/significance: Pentatomomorpha is a monophyletic group; Aradoidea and the Trichophora are sister groups; these fossils belong to new family, treated as the sister group of remainder of Trichophora; Pentatomoidea is a monophyletic group; Piesmatidae should be separated as a superfamily, Piesmatoidea. Origin time of Pentatomomorpha should be tracked back to the Middle or Early Triassic.

Simple Summary: The assassin bug subfamily Stenopodainae is the fifth largest group of Reduviidae, with about 770 valid species known worldwide. Many taxa of Stenopodainae have been poorly studied and are therefore in need of revision. Argolis Stål, 1861 is a medium-sized genus of Stenopodainae with native species occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. The Asian fauna of Argolis is revised in this study, resulting in the recognition of two species, and the Oriental genera Bardesanes Distant, 1909 and Neoklugia Distant, 1919 are here considered junior synonyms of Argolis. Taxonomic changes are proposed accordingly in the present study, and the significant sexual dimorphism, systematic relationships, and distribution of Argolis are also discussed. The assassin bug genus Argolis Stål, 1861 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Stenopodainae) has a disjunct distribution in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. In the present study, the Asian species of Argolis are revised. Two species are recognized, redescribed, and illustrated, with the following new subjective synonyms and new combination proposed: Argolis Stål, 1861 = Bardesanes Distant, 1909, syn. nov. = Neoklugia Distant, 1919, syn. nov.; A. farinator (Reuter, 1882) = N. typica Distant, 1919, syn. nov. = B. sericenotatus Livingstone & Ravichandran, 1989, syn. nov.; A. signata (Distant, 1909), comb. nov. (transferred from Bardesanes) = Caunus noctulus Hsiao, 1977, syn. nov. Lectotypes for C. farinator, B. signatus, and N. typica are designated. A key to separate the two Asian species of Argolis is provided. The sexual dimorphism, systematic relationships, and distribution of Argolis are discussed. Argolis is newly recorded from Laos, Pakistan, and Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: There is a wide variety of insects in the suborder Heteroptera (true bugs), with various feeding habits and living habitats. Microbes that live inside insect guts play critical roles in aspects of host nutrition, physiology, and behavior. However, most studies have focused on herbivorous stink bugs of the infraorder Pentatomomorpha and the gut microbiota associated with the megadiverse heteropteran lineages, and the implications of ecological and diet variance have been less studied. Here, we investigated the gut microbial biodiversity of 30 species of true bugs representative of different ecological niches and diets. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes dominated all samples. True bugs that live in aquatic environments had a variety of bacterial taxa that were not present in their terrestrial counterparts. Carnivorous true bugs had distinct gut microbiomes compared to herbivorous species. In particular, assassin bugs of the family Reduviidae had a characteristic gut microbiota consisting mainly of Enterococcus and different species of Proteobacteria, implying a specific association between the gut bacteria and the host. These findings reveal that the environmental habitats and diets synergistically contributed to the diversity of the gut bacterial community of true bugs. Insects are generally associated with gut bacterial communities that benefit the hosts with respect to diet digestion, limiting resource supplementation, pathogen defense, and ecological niche expansion. Heteroptera (true bugs) represent one of the largest and most diverse insect lineages and comprise species consuming different diets and inhabiting various ecological niches, even including underwater. However, the bacterial symbiotic associations have been characterized for those basically restricted to herbivorous stink bugs of the infraorder Pentatomomorpha. The gut microbiota associated with the megadiverse heteropteran lineages and the implications of ecological and diet variance remain largely unknown. Here, we conducted a bacterial 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of the gut microbiota across 30 species of true bugs representative of different ecological niches and diets. It was revealed that Proteobacteria and Firmicute were the predominant bacterial phyla. Environmental habitats and diets synergistically contributed to the diversity of the gut bacterial community of true bugs. True bugs living in aquatic environments harbored multiple bacterial taxa that were not present in their terrestrial counterparts. Carnivorous true bugs possessed distinct gut microbiota compared to phytophagous species. Particularly, assassin bugs of the family Reduviidae possessed a characterized gut microbiota predominantly composed of one Enterococcus with different Proteobacteria, implying a specific association between the gut bacteria and host. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of the comprehensive surveillance of gut microbiota association with true bugs for understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning insect–bacteria symbiosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generic status of Microsandalus Stål, 1867 stat. rev. is discussed and formally revalidated. The type species of this genus, M. umbrosus Stål, 1867, is redescribed and illustrated with an emphasis on sexual dimorphism. The lectotype of M. umbrosus is designated. Pirates sobrius Walker, 1873 is found to be the brachypterous female of M. umbrosus, and therefore, a previous synonymy, which had recently gone unnoticed, is confirmed. A key to help separate peiratine genera distributed in Australia is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The resin assassin bug tribe Ectinoderini of China is documented; • Amulius malayus Stål is redescribed and illustrated; • A new species, Ectinoderus sinicus sp. nov., is described and illustrated; • DNA barcodes and bionomic data of the two species are provided. The two resin assassin bugs belonging to the tribe Ectinoderini (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) occurring in China are documented: Amulius malayus Stål, 1867 is redescribed and Ectinoderus sinicus Chen & Cai, sp. nov. is described as new. The discovery of the new species extends the distribution of the genus and the tribe northwards from tropical Southeast Asia to southern mainland China. A key to the two ectinoderine genera and species from China is provided to facilitate their identification. DNA barcodes and bionomic data are provided for the species concerned, and their conservation is briefly discussed. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A7F7402E-E9A8-4FAD-B72A-4B1C9B2A7276. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the assassin bug, Sycanus croceovittatus, was sequenced and analyzed in the present study. This mitogenome spans 15,644 bp in size with a high A + T content (71.7%), containing 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a putative control region. All protein-coding genes are initiated by ATN codons expect ND1 use GTG as start codons and terminated with TAG or TAA, expect COX3 use a single T–– residue as the stop codon. All tRNAs have the typical clover-leaf like structures except for tRNASer(AGN). A phylogenetic analysis of S. croceovittatus and 33 other assassin bugs is also presented using 13 protein-coding genes and 2 rRNA genes. The result supports the monophyly of Harpactorinae and the sister relationship between S. croceovittatus and Agriosphodrus dohrni. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new extinct family of Pentatomoidea, Primipentatomidae fam. nov., with four new genera and five new species (Primipentatoma peregrinagen. et sp. nov.,Primipentatoma fangigen. et sp. nov.,Breviscutum lunatumgen. et sp. nov.,Oropentatoma epicharagen. et sp. nov. andQuadrocoris radiusgen. et sp. nov.), is described from the Upper Mesozoic deposits of north-eastern China. A cladistic analysis based on a combination of fossil and extant morphological characters clarifies the phylogenetic status of the new family and allows reconstruction of the interfamily relationships within the superfamily Pentatomoidea. Major conclusions of the phylogenetic analysis are: (1) the fossils represent a monophyletic group interpreted as the sister group to all Pentatomoidea exclusive of Saileriolidae + Urostylididae; (2) Urostylididaesensu latois a paraphyletic group; (3) monophyly of Acanthosomatidae, Pentatomidae, Thyreocoridae, Dinidoridae, Phloeidae and Scutelleridae are strongly supported by high bootstrap values in the analysis, but the relationships among these families is less resolved; (4) monophyly of the Cydnidae was not supported. The time of origin of Pentatomoidea should be before the Early Cretaceous (125–130 Ma), and may be as early as the Late or Middle Jurassic with a centre of origin in East Asia. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A432B387-E3A1-42D3-8051-867EB5108318 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lychee stinkbug Mattiphus splendidus is an important pest which mainly distributed in southern China. In this study, we sequenced and described the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of M. splendidus, which is the first record in the genus Mattiphus. This mitogenome is 15,973 bp long and comprises of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and a control region. Gene order is identical to that of the putative ancestral arrangement of insects. All protein-coding genes initiate with ATN, expect ND1and COI use GTG or TTG as start codons and terminate with TAG or TAA, expect COI and COIII use TA or a single T residue as the stop codon. All tRNAs, ranging from 62 to 74 bp, can be folded into typical clover-leaf structure expect for tRNASer(GCU) and tRNAVal. The control region is 1,357 bp long with 73.5% A + T content. The phylogenetic analysis supports the monophyly of Tessaratomidae and the sister relationship between M. splendidus and Eusthenes cupreus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]