Higher Systematics of the Pentatomoidea 91
Some recent workers (Kment 2013) have included these genera in the Halyini, and they have a strong
resemblance to various halyines. The two-segmented tarsi and the hirsute abdomen will separate them
from that tribe. The hairy patches on the abdominal venter may ally this group with the Memmiini (and
the few halyine genera with similar structures).
2.2.10.7.31 Nezarini Atkinson, 1888
Atkinson (1888), in forming his classification, relied heavily on the classification presented by Stål (1876),
even though Stål did not call many of his family-groups by name. Atkinson (1888) provided names
for most of Stål’s groups. In this case, Stål (1876) keyed Nezara Amyot and Serville and Acrosternum
together, indicating that they may form a higher group. Atkinson (1888) called this group the Nezaria.
Yang (1962) proposed Palomenini based on Palomena, which we treat as a member of the Nezarini.
This is a relatively large group containing 26 genera and 272 species (Table 2.3) with its members
occurring in both the New World and Old World. Members are small to medium large (usually greater
than 9 mm) in length. This is another tribe that is difficult to define. Basically, these are the genera that
are green in life, and they retain their green coloration after death (Figures 2.30K, L). This would seem
to be a most inappropriate character on which to base a tribe, but, for the most part, it seems to work. The
comparative lengths of the juga and tylus can vary, even within a genus. The humeral angles are usually
rounded but occasionally spinose. The mesosternum is medially carinate (Figure 2.7C), becoming more
elevated in some species of Glaucias Kirkaldy, and finally being quite elevated and produced forward
onto the base of prosternum in Amblybelus Montrouzier and Acrozangis Breddin (indicating a possible
relationship between the Nezarini and the Rhynchocorini). The ostiolar ruga can be short and auricu-
late (e.g., Brachynema Mulsant and Rey, Nezara) or rather long and acuminate apically (Acrosternum,
Chinavia Orian) (Figures 2.9B, D). The base of the abdominal venter also can vary greatly from being
unarmed to possessing an elongate, forwardly projecting spine (Figure 2.8C). The male parameres may
be complex in shape, ranging from T-shaped to C-shaped. The female spermathecal bulb is ball-shaped
with two to three long finger-like diverticula.
Acrozangis presents a special problem because not only is the mesosternum quite developed, the
posterior surface of the mesosternum is excavated to receive the apex of the ventral abdominal spine.
Its characters clearly place it in the Rhynchocorini, yet it appears to be closely related to Glaucias,
whose characters place it in the Nezarini. As a sidenote, Fan et al. (2012) recorded Cuspicona antica
Vollenhoven from China. We have examined the type specimens of C. antica, and their description and
illustrations match the type fairly well. But, this species is definitely not a species of Cuspicona Dallas
but, rather, is a species of Acrozangis.
It is evident that Gross (1976) did not have clear understanding of this group. He included nearly all
nezarine genera in his Pentatoma group which would be the Pentatomini in this chapter. Beyond that,
however, his descriptions and illustrations fit well with the Nezarini. He also discussed a possible rela-
tionship with the Rhynchocorini. There is also a possible relationship with the Antestiini. For example,
we include the genus Plautia in the Antestiini. Although Gross discussed this as a possibility, he ulti-
mately placed Plautia in the Nezarini. Linnavuori (1982) also indicated a resemblance between this
group and the antestiines (including the male genitalia), but he indicated that the anterior margin of the
pronotum is completely flat and densely punctate in the nezarines, whereas it often is set off by a suture
or row of punctures in the antestiines.
A number of nezarine genera have been treated, either in part or in whole, in recent times as fol-
lows: Acrosternum (Ahmad and Rana 1989, Linnavuori and Al-Safadi 1993, Ribes and Pagola-Carte
2013), Brachynema (Zaidi and Ahmad 1988, Ribes and Schmitz 1992), Chinavia (Day 1965, Orian
1965, Rolston 1983a, Rider and Rolston 1986, Rider 1987, Frey-da-Silva and Grazia 2001, Schwertner
and Grazia 2007), Chlorochroa Stål (Buxton et al. 1983, Thomas 1983, Scudder and Thomas 1987),
Glaucias (Ruckes 1963), Nezara (Freeman 1940, 1946; Ferrari et al. 2010), Palomena (Zheng and Ling
1989, Zaidi and Ahmad 1991), and Parachinavia (Grazia and Schwertner 2008a).
This tribe includes several economically important species. For example, Brachynema germarii (Kolenati)
attacks pistachio in the Middle East. Several species of Acrosternum (Figure 2.22I) and Chinavia (Figure
2.30K) are known to attack several crops. But, of course, the best known pest is Nezara viridula (Figure
2.22K), a species of cosmopolitan distribution that attacks a number of different crops (see Chapter 7).