The Genus Sphyrocoris Mayr (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae: Pachycorinae)

The genus Sphyrocoris is reviewed and found to contain a single species, S. obliquus (Germar, 1839). The following taxa are new junior synonyms of S. obliquus: Homaemus punctellus Stål, 1862; Sphyrocoris elongatus Distant, 1880; Sphyrocoris punctellus nigricans Kirkaldy, 1909; Sphyrocoris punctellus pallidomaculata Kirkaldy, 1909; and Sphyrocoris punctellus sanguineoconspersa Kirkaldy, 1909. Lectotypes are designated for H. punctellus, S. punctellus nigricans, S. punctellus pallidomaculata, and S. punctellus sanguineoconspersa

Mecidea longula Stål (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Pentatominae: Mecideini) is established in south Florida

A Caribbean species of Mecidea Dallas, M. longula Stål, apparently established in south Florida, is reported from the United States for the first time. Specimens were first collected in February 2008 in a light trap operated in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Collections in that trap have continued through the present. Searches near the trap location resulted in several specimens being taken from smutgrass, Sporobolus indicus (L.), an exotic grass now established throughout much of the southeastern United States. The three North American species of Mecidea are keyed and illustrated. In addition to the Florida locality, M. longula is reported for the first time from the British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts, St. Martin, and the Turks and Caicos Islands

Description of the male of \u3ci\u3eEuschistus (Euschistus) baranowskii\u3c/i\u3e Eger and Bianchi (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Pentatominae: Carpocorini)

Euschistus (Euschistus) baranowskii Eger and Bianchi (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Pentatominae: Carpocorini) was described based on a single female specimen. In this paper, I describe the male of the spe­cies, primarily the genitalia, and compare it to other species of Euschistus (Euschistus) Dallas

A new species of \u3ci\u3eDiolcus\u3c/i\u3e Mayr (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae: Pachycorinae) with a reexamination of the subfamily and generic placement of \u3ci\u3eNesogenes boscii\u3c/i\u3e (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae: Elvisurinae or Pachycorinae)

Diolcus thomasi Eger new species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae: Pachycorinae), is de­scribed from Cayman Brac and Little Cayman Island and compared to D. chrysorrhoeus (Fabricius), its closest congener. Nesogenes boscii (Fabricius) is removed from the Elvisurinae and placed in the Pachycorinae. The relationship of N. boscii to D. thomasi and D. chrysorrhoeus is discussed. Diolcus Mayr (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae: Pachycorinae) currently contains six valid species: D. cassi­doides (Walker) from Hispaniola, D. chrysorrhoeus (Fabricius) from the southeastern US and Texas, D. disjunctus Barber from Puerto Rico, D. irroratus (Fabricius) from Florida and many of the Caribbean Islands, D. pusillus Berg from Argentina and Uruguay, and D. variegatus (Herrich-Schaeffer) from Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and adventive in Florida (Eger and Baranowski 2002). There has been little work on this genus recently and it is in need of revision. Horváth (1921) removed Diolcus boscii (Fabricius) from Diolcus and placed it in a new genus, Nesogenes Horváth. He also placed the new genus in Elvisurinae based on the expanded lateral carinae of the thoracic sterna. The placement of N. boscii in the Elvisurinae has been challenged in recent years. Cassis and Vanags (2006) considered the genus incertae sedis and excluded it from the Elvisurinae. Eger et al. (2015) suggested that Nesogenes is more closely related to genera of Pachycorinae than to those of Elvisurinae. However, the subfamily placement of the genus remains unsettled. The purpose of this study is to describe a single new species of Diolcus and clarify the subfamily placement of Nesogenes. This paper is dedicated to the memory of Mike Thomas, a good friend and avid collector of insects, particularly on Caribbean Islands

Relating the radar backscattering coefficient to leaf-area index

The relationship between the radar backscattering coefficient of a vegetation canopy, sigma(0) sub can, and the canopy's leaf area index (LAI) is examined. The relationship is established through the development of a model for corn and sorghum and another for wheat. Both models are extensions of the cloud model of Attema and Ulaby (1978). Analysis of experimental data measured at 8.6, 13.0, 17.0, and 35.6 GHz indicates that most of the temporal variations of sigma(0) sub can can be accounted for through variations in green LAI alone, if the latter is greater than 0.5

Occurrence of the Old World bug Megacopta cribraria (Fabricius) (Heteroptera: Plataspidae) in Georgia: a serious home invader and potential legume pest

Specimens of Megacopta cribraria (Fabricius) were collected in northern Georgia in late October 2009, where they were invading homes in large numbers. This is the first known occurrence of this species and the family Plataspidae in the New World. Megacopta cribraria was previously known from Asia and Australia. A key is provided to separate Plataspidae from other families of Pentatomoidea in America North of Mexico. A diagnosis and figures are provided to facilitate recognition of M. cribraria. Reported host plants and other aspects of the biology of this species are reviewed. Megacopta cribraria is considered a pest of numerous legumes in Asia, has the potential to provide biological control of kudzu, Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.) Ohwi, (Fabaceae) and likely will continue to be a household pest in the vicinity of kudzu fields as well as become a pest of North American legume crops