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\u3eBrachycerocoris\u3c/i\u3e Costa (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Podopinae) from the Philippines

A new species, Brachycerocoris woodruffi Eger, is described from Mindanao Island, Philippines. The new species is described, illustrated and compared to the two other species of Brachycerocoris Costa occurring in the Philippines, B. dromedarius (Vollenhoven) and B. davidii Roca-Cusachs and Salini. Brachycerocoris Costa belongs to the Brachycerocoris group of the Podopinae (Rider et al. 2018) and is represented in Africa by three species, B. afer Stål 1876, B. congoanus Schouteden 1905, and B. patrizii Mancini 1939. The genus has historically contained just two species in the Oriental region, B. camelus Costa 1863, described from China, and B. dromedarius (Vollenhoven 1863), described from Tondano, Sulawesi. Distant (1902) added Sri Lanka to the distribution of B. camelus and provided a description and illustration. Subsequent authors reported B. camelus from the Indian states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (Ramachandra Rao 1920; Chatterjee 1934; Chandra 1953; Schaefer 1997), while Rider and Zheng (2005) added to the known distribution of B. camelus in China. Schaefer et al. (1996) provided descriptions and illustrations of the two Oriental species known at that time, adding Mindoro, Philippines to the distribution of B. dromedarius. Salini and Roca-Cusachs (2021) recently reviewed the genus in the Oriental region and described two new species, B. davidii Roca-Cusachs and Salini from Mindanao, Philippines and B. petrii Salini and Roca-Cusachs from Karnataka State, India. They also reported B. dromedarius from Luzon, Philippines and Sumba Island, Indonesia and suggested that the records of B. camelus from India and Sri Lanka may actually refer to B. petrii. While examining Philippine material in the University of Georgia Collection of Arthropods in Athens, GA, USA, I encountered several specimens of Brachycerocoris from the Philippines, including a single specimen of an apparently undescribed species with a distinctive pygophore. This species is here described, illustrated, and compared to other Philippine species of the genus

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

First record of \u3ci\u3eOrsilochides scurrilis\u3c/i\u3e (Stål) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae: Pachycorinae) in the United States, with notes on the biology and distribution of U.S. species of \u3ci\u3eOrsilochides\u3c/i\u3e Kirkaldy

Orsilochides scurrilis (Stål) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae) is reported from the United States for the first time based on a specimen collected in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. A key to separate the U.S. species of Orsilochides Kirkaldy is provided. In addition, host plant records and distribution of the other two species of Orsilochides that occur in the U.S., Orsilochides guttata (Herrich-Schäffer) and Orsilochides stictica (Dallas), are analyzed through a combination of digital photo records and museum specimens

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

First report of \u3ci\u3eBrachyplatys subaeneus\u3c/i\u3e (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Plataspidae) in the United States

Brachyplatys subaeneus (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Plataspidae), is reported from Miami Beach, FL, the first report from the United States. It was noticed first on a photo-sharing site (iNaturalist) providing an example of the importance of these sites for helping to track introduced species. Information on distribution, host plants and potential spread are provided along with photos and taxonomic characters to assist with identification of this recently introduced species. ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:332C0E76-9AE9-4069-9240-F55CADC6416

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

\u3ci\u3ePolytes debra\u3c/i\u3e, a new species from Peru (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae: Pachycorinae)

A new species of Polytes Stål, P. debra Eger (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae: Pachycorinae) is described based on a single female collected in Peru. The new species is described and fi gured and compared to P. ruth (Breddin), its most similar congener. A revised key to species of Polytes is provided

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