Tessaratomidae
Musgraveia sulciventris
The Tesseratomidae are a family of bugs ( Heteroptera) in the partial order Pentatomomorpha. Of these, about 240 species are known in 57 genera.
Features
The large to very large bugs are often more than 15 millimeters long. Your well-built body is ovoid to elongated ovoid and bears a resemblance to that of the stink bugs ( Pentatomidae ).
Her head is small, triangular in shape and towards the tip considerably narrower than at the base. He is keeled laterally. The mandibles meet in the middle before the front panel ( clypeus ). The probes are typically four members, there are also five membered species in which the third member is very short. The labium is short and does not extend above the hips ( coxae ) of the front legs. The pronotum extends beyond the base of the scutellum addition ( scutellum ). The latter is triangular and does not obscure the corium of Hemielytren. On the hind wings a Hamus ( a vein extends into the cell) is present. The wing veins of the membrane are not reticulate. The mesosternum is preferred to the side between the hips and forward to the mesosternum. It is usually preferable to a forward wedge, which almost reached the front hips and its posterior margin is truncated at the connection to the abdomen. The outer part of the derivation organ of scent glands of the metathorax is regressed. The tarsi are two - or tripartite. You can see six pairs of spiracles on the abdomen, located on the sternum of the second abdominal segment completely free for most species. The aedeagus has up to four pairs of appendages on conjunctivum. The nymphs. Terga of the third to sixth abdominal segment dorsal scent gland openings The agreement between the third and fourth Tergums are sometimes small and there is a small notch between the sixth and seventh Tergum.
The large body size, the above and enlarged, wedge-shaped Metasternum, the free stigma on the second abdominal segment, and probably also the conspicuously colored nymphs characterize the family.
Occurrence
The family is widespread in the tropics of the Old World. The widespread genus Piezosternum is however also represented by three species in the Neotropics.
Way of life
All previously known species are phytophagous. The preferred host plants mainly include Rose behaved ( Rosales ) and soap -like tree ( Sapindales ), but many other groups of plants.
Economic Importance
Among the Tessaratomidae there are also a number of species of economic importance for agriculture. Thus, for example, Musgraveia sulciventris a pest in Australian citrus orchards. Another example is Tessaratoma papillosa, which is a serious pest of litchi ( Litchi chinensis) and longan ( longan Dimocarpus ) in China.
A number of species is collected for human consumption, eg Encosternum delegorguei in Zimbabwe and South Africa, species of the genus Pygoplatys and Tessaratoma papillosa and Tessaratoma javanica in Thailand, as well as Tessaratoma quadrata in Laos.
Taxonomy and systematics
The taxon was first described by Carl Stål 1864. Leston looked at the group as a subfamily of stink bugs, but agreed later as well as other authors marital status, which the group holds today.
The following subfamilies, tribes and genera are attributed to the family:
- Subfamily Natalicolinae genus Cyclogastridea
- Genus Elizabetha
- Genus Empysarus
- Genus Encosternum
- Genus Haplosterna
- Genus Natalicola
- Genus Selenymenum
- Genus Stevesonius
- Genus Agapophyta
- Genus Cumare
- Genus Erga
- Genus Garceus
- Genus Lyramorpha
- Genus Musgraveia
- Genus Neosalica
- Genus Oncomeris
- Genus Peltocopta
- Genus Piezosternum
- Genus Plisthenes
- Genus Rhoecus
- Genus Stilida
- Genus Tamolia
- Genus Tibiospina
- Tribus Prionogastrini genus Prionogaster
- Subtribe Platytataria
- Genus Platytatus
- Subtribe Sepinaria genus Ipamu
- Genus Malgassus
- Genus Pseudosepina
- Genus Rhynchotmetus
- Genus Sepina
- Subtribe Eusthenaria genus Anacanthopus
- Genus Asiarcha
- Genus Aurungabada
- Genus Candace
- Genus Carpona
- Genus Dalcantha
- Genus Eurostus
- Genus Eurypleura
- Genus Eusthenes
- Genus Eusthenimorpha
- Genus Mattiphus
- Genus Megaedoeum
- Genus Origanaus
- Genus Pseudopycanum
- Genus Pycanum
- Genus Sanganus
- Genus Serrocarpona
- Genus Acidosterna
- Genus Amissus
- Genus Embolosterna
- Genus Enada
- Genus Hypencha
- Genus Mucanum
- Genus Pygoplatys
- Genus Siphnus
- Genus Tessaratoma
- Incertae sedis Tribus Notopomini genus Notopomus