Piesmatidae
Piesma maculatum
Report bugs ( Piesmatidae ) are a family of bugs (Heteroptera ). It comprises 6 genera and 44 species. In Europe, 11 species are represented, 7 of which also occur in Central Europe.
Features
The five millimeters with a maximum body length relatively small bugs have a net-like ( Piesmatinae ) or dense point-like structured ( Psamminae ) thorax and Hemielytren. This gives you some resemblance to lace bugs ( Tingidae ), with which they are however not closely related. From this they differ from one another by the straight posterior margin of the pronotum, which does not obscure the tag ( scutellum ).
The head of the animal is at an angle and the compound eyes are close to the pronotum. Simple eyes ( ocelli ) are usually present, but may at brachypteren individuals, in which the wings are regressed, also missing. The Manibeln are strongly extended forward and extend at least to the apex of the front plate ( clypeus ). Both the sensor and the labium is four members. The pronotum is nearly square and has no collar, but clearly recognizable Calli. The scutellum is exposed. The animals have a Stridulationsorgan for volume production. The Stridulitrum located on the Cubitalader of the hind wings, the plectrum on the Tergum of the first abdominal segment. Both the nymphs, and the imagos have dorsally between the third and fourth, and fourth and fifth Tergum on the abdomen scent glands openings that are also functional in the Imagines. The openings are small and sometimes visible only between the third and fourth Tergum. Scent glands openings on the metathorax are missing. The tarsi are bipartite. On the abdomen the Trichobothria are regressed. There is only a single Trichobothrium ante riad the stigma on the fifth and of the genus Piesma also on the sixth sternum. Some species have there but also a pair or no Trichobothria. All spiracles on the abdomen are dorsal. In contrast to all other bugs families, two Malpighian tubules open into the front end of the rectum.
The position of the Malpighian tubules, which are also among the adults functional scent glands on their abdomen and the greatly reduced number of Trichobothria autapomorphies of the family.
Distribution and habitat
The family is found in all major zoogeographic regions, but their main distribution area are the tropics.
Way of life
The Report bugs feed on phytophagous leaves, branches and flowers. They are found in foxtail plants (Amaranthaceae ), cloves family ( Caryophyllaceae ), Gänsefußgewächsen ( Chenopodioideae ) Zistrosengewächsen ( Cistaceae ) and the genus Acacia of Leguminosae ( Fabaceae ). Recent evidence has been but also of carob plants ( Caesalpiniaceae ), made of silver tree family ( Proteaceae ) and Sandelholzgewächsen ( Santalaceae ). Parapiesma quadratum is in Central and Eastern Europe, a pest of beets, as it transmits plant viruses. The North American common Piesma cinereum is therefore harmful to beets.
The males attract females for mating to by stridulation. To rub their fluted Cubitalader to the edge on Tergum of the first abdomen segment. Since the females have no ovipositor, they glue their eggs on the underside of the leaves, the flowers or the root collar of their food plants. One to two generations per year are formed depending on the habitat and species per year. The wintering in temperate latitudes occurs as Imago. The animals fly in search of suitable wintering grounds often long distances.
Taxonomy and systematics
The group was first first described by Charles Jean Baptiste Amyot and Jean Guillaume Audinet Serville in 1843 as higher group of bugs with the name " Piesmides ". It was attributed to the lace bugs ( Tingidae ) due to the net-like wings later, but later considered again as an independent family. They were of Tullgren (1918 ) and Leston et al. (1954 ) finally put away the lace bugs for partial order Pentatomomorpha. Later, it was confirmed that the similarities with the lace bugs are only superficial and have no kinship basis. The family was divided with a focus on the Lygaeoidea by Henry in 1997 into the subfamilies Piesmatinae and Thaiocorinae before the revision of the Pentatomomorpha, but already Schaefer ( 1981), Schuh & Slater ( 1995) questioned the status of the Thaiocorinae as a family. Henry ( 1997) noted in its revision of the superfamily a sister group relationship between the Piesmatidae and the subfamily Psamminae, previously nor to the chinch bug ( Lygaeidae ) was counted on. He reclassified the family Piesmatidae, so this is now according to the following subfamilies:
- Piesmatinae (at least 3 genera, about 41 species, Nearctic, Palaearctic, Afrotropical, Southeast Asia, Chile)
- Psamminae (3 genera, 3 species, Southern Africa, India)
The genus Piesma the Piesmatinae was divided by Péricart (1974 ) into three subgenera, Piesma, Parapiesma and Afropiesma, which are now considered by most modern processors as separate genera .. The other genera of Piesmatinae are Miespa (one species, Chile) and Mcateella ( four kinds, Australia).
In Europe, the following types are used:
- Genus Piesma Piesma capitatum (Wolff, 1804)
- Piesma maculatum ( Laporte, 1833)
- Parapiesma atriplicis ( Frey- Gessner, 1863)
- Parapiesma kochiae ( Becker, 1867)
- Parapiesma Pupula ( Puton, 1879)
- Parapiesma quadratum (fever, 1844)
- Parapiesma rotundatum ( Horvath, 1906)
- Parapiesma salsolae ( Becker, 1867)
- Parapiesma Silenes ( Horvath, 1888)
- Parapiesma unicolor (Wagner, 1954)
- Parapiesma variabile (fever, 1844)
Fossils
Fossil Piesmatidae are very rare, there are only three discoveries ever before. Nel et al. describe a fossil species from the early Eocene amber of the Paris Basin (France), which differs from the modern species including through the tripartite tarsi .. The most ancient finding dates from the mid - Cretaceous Burmese amber