90 Invasive Stink Bugs and Related Species (Pentatomoidea)
There are, however, three characters, none of which works at all times but, when used in concert, usually
can separate myrocheines from caystrines. Myrocheines usually have: (1) the mesosternum distinctly
sulcate, without a medial carina; (2) the ostiolar apparatus tends to be reduced (i.e., the ostiole is rather
small, the rugae tend to be quite small and reduced, and the evaporative area is quite small); and (3) there
often are small teeth or spines located on the inferior surface of the front femora. The female latero-
tergites VIII are dorsally insinuated. The spermathecal bulb is relatively simple, ball-shaped, with 0-3
finger-like diverticula.
As inferred above, the distinction between the myrocheines and caystrines is not as distinct as one
would hope. It is possible that the Myrocheini in its broadest sense is paraphyletic in relationship to the
Caystrini. For example, the genus Aednus has the reduced ostiolar structures and the fore femora are
armed with spines, but the mesosternum is carinate rather than sulcate. Gross (1975b) placed Arniscus
Distant (Figure 2.22F) in his Tholosanus group but indicated that this group probably was related to the
Myrocheini. Arniscus, in fact, has the mesosternum medially carinate and the fore femora are unarmed.
As such, it is doubtful that Arniscus belongs in the Myrocheini. We also doubt the placement of the genus
Humria Linnavuori in the Myrocheini; even though the mesosternum is medially sulcate, the ostiolar
rugae are much more developed, and the fore femora are unarmed. Also, the placement of the newly
described Discimita is rather tentative (see Kment and Garbelotto 2016). Finally, although the genus
Neococalus has the front femora armed, the mesosternum is weakly keeled medially and the ostiolar
rugae are quite elongate.
The genus Phaeocoris Jakovlev has had a confused taxonomic history. Horváth (1903) placed his own
genus, Timuria Horváth, as a synonym of Phaeocoris and treated them both in the Sciocorini. Kirkaldy
(1909) catalogued Phaeocoris in a broadly conceived Pentatomini, but he also catalogued Timuria as a
valid genus in the Sciocorini. Kerzhner (1972) placed Phaeocoris (and both of its synonyms, Timuria and
Ta ncreisca Jensen-Haarup) as a junior synonym of Dymantis, a myrocheine genus generally thought to
be restricted to Africa. Ahmad and Önder (1996) described another new myrocheine genus, Lodosia, that
has been placed as a synonym of Phaeocoris (Gapon and Baena 2005). Finally, Gapon and Baena (2005)
after carefully studying the situation, stated “as temporary decision, we propose to retain Phaeocoris in
Myrocheini, to which this genus is similar in external appearance.”
Ahmad and Afzal (1989) reviewed the genera and species occurring in the Indo-Pakistan region, and
Linnavuori (1975, 1982) covered the tropical African species. Kment and Rider (2015) corrected some
nomenclatural problems involving Dymantis that resulted in the erection of a new genus, Neodymantis.
Linnavuori (1982) indicated that most species are grass feeders although members of Humria may be
arboreal. He also indicated that this group might be related to the Aeptini.
2.2.10.7.30 Nealeriini Cachan, 1952
Stål (1876) described the genus Aleria and included it in his key to genera of the Halyini.
Unfortunately, this generic name was preoccupied by Aleria Marshall, 1874, in the Hymenoptera.
Bergroth (1893) proposed Nealeria as a replacement name but still treated this genus as a member
of the Halyini. Additionally, Reuter in 1887 described another new genus, Paraleria, also including
it in the Halyini. Both genera remained in the Halyini until Cachan (1952) transferred them into his
new tribe Nealeriaria.
This tribe still contains only those two genera and only four species (Table 2.3), all endemic to
Madagascar. They are relatively large pentatomids, elongate-oval, having the appearance of African
halyines (Figure 2.30J). We have examined a single pair of one species. The juga are a little longer
than the tylus. The mesosternum is narrowly and shallowly sulcate, not carinate medially; the proster-
num and metasternum are shallowly concave. The sternal sulcus continues onto the abdomen for at least
3-4 segments. The ostiolar rugae are rather small and auriculate with a correspondingly small evapo-
rative area. The anterolateral margins of the pronotum are usually concave and obtusely denticulate.
The abdominal venter is covered with a relatively dense layer of short hairs over its entirety but differ
from the Memmiini in that the hairs are less dense, and not as obvious; also, they are present in both
sexes rather than present only in females (see Section 2.2.10.7.27). The antennae are four-segmented.
The third rostral segment is the longest. The tarsi are two-segmented and the fore tibiae are somewhat
dilated.