Proposition of a new species group in Edessa Fabricius, 1803 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Edessinae).

The pudibunda group of Edessa is here proposed to include Edessa pudibunda Stål, 1862, Edessa picticornis Stål, 1872, Edessa godmani Distant, 1881, Edessa punctata Santos & Fernandes sp. nov., Edessa luteomaculata Santos & Fernandes sp. nov., Edessa nigriventris Santos & Fernandes sp. nov. and Edessa nigridorsata sp. nov. This group is restricted to Central America. Descriptions, measurements and illustrations of the metasternal process, male and female external genitalia and distributional map are provided. Lectotypes of E. godmani and E. picticornis are here designated.