Higher Systematics of the Pentatomoidea 99
Strand [Figure 2.12H]), the anterior pronotal margin is set off by a row of punctures or a suture, forming
a collar behind the head. The scutellum is triangular in shape. The prosternum is shallowly sulcate, the
mesosternum is distinctly carinate. The abdominal venter is unarmed. The posterior margin of the male
pygophore can be rather complex; the male parameres may be fairly simple to somewhat Y-shaped; the
aedeagus is equipped with a thecal shield. The female spermathecal bulb is elongate, simple, or provided
with a finger-like diverticulum.
The genus Strachia may have a rudimentary stridulatory mechanism. There are numerous peg-like
tubercles on the inner surface of the hind femora that are scattered randomly. The abdominal venter has
the margins between segments slightly and obtusely elevated, and there is often a secondary transverse
ridge in the middle of each segment. This is only seen in the males; the females have the abdominal
ridges much reduced, and the inner surface of the hind femur is nearly smooth, not tuberculate as it is in
the males. This is not seen in other members of the tribe.
There is another aberrant genus whose taxonomic placement needs further study. The species in the
genus Trochiscocoris are quite small and usually brachypterous; they have the external scent efferent
system even more reduced than in most strachiines; that is, the ostiole is obsolete. Although the general
‘gestalt’ of these species is quite different, the genitalia of both sexes are highly similar to other members
of the Strachiini. Oshanin (1906) erected the Trochiscocoraria for this genus, but Asanova and Kerzhner
(1969) placed Trochiscocoris back in the Strachiini.
The West Palearctic (Derjanschi and Péricart 2005) and Indian (Azim and Shafee 1986) species of
this tribe were reviewed, and two strachiine genera have been recently revised: Madates (Rider 2006d)
(Figure 2.12H) and Murgantia (Brailovsky and Barrera 1989) (Figure 2.32F). Also, the Oriental and
Australian species of Stenozygum have been reviewed (Ahmad and Khan 1983).
Gross (1976) compared the strachiines with some asopines; for example, Oechalia (Figure 2.17C)
has reduced scent gland structures, and the asopines possess a thecal shield in the male aedeagus (but
other groups also sometimes have a thecal shield). He also discussed a possible relationship with the
Antestiini, again based on male genitalia.
This tribe includes several economically important species. For example, various species of Eurydema
are pests of cole crops in the Old World. Murgantia histrionica (Hahn) also attacks cruciferous plants in
the New World (see Chapter 6). Additionally, Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister) was introduced accidentally
into western North America recently and is considered a pest of several plant species in the Brassicaceae
(see Chapter 3). It now also has been found in Chile, South America, and is causing extensive damage
to crops there (Faúndez et al. 2016).
2.2.10.7.43 Triplatygini Cachan, 1952
Cachan (1952) proposed the family-level name Triplatyxaria for three genera endemic to Madagascar:
Anoano Cachan, Tricompastes Cachan, and Tr ipl a t yx Horváth (Figure 2.32H). This tribe received little
attention until Kment (2008, 2012, 2015) and Kment and Baena (2015) treated all included genera and
described one new genus (see comments below).
Most of the information included here comes from papers by Kment (2008, 2012, 2015) and Kment
and Baena (2015). There are currently four genera (Anoano, Nene Kment, Tricompastes, and Tr ipl a t yx)
and nine species assigned to this tribe (Table 2.3). All included taxa are endemic to Madagascar.
Members of this tribe have large juga that are somewhat foliaceous, the lateral margins are edged, and
their apices reach beyond the apex of the tylus and either meet anteriorly or leave a small V-shaped
notch. Usually there is a small anteocular spine along the jugal margin on each side. The antennae are
five-segmented; antennal segment I is nearly covered by the head margins, and, therefore, only its apex
is visible from above. The humeral angles are lobe-like, elongate, and usually incised apically. The
scutellum is usually triangular and, often, broadly rounded apically. The mesosternum is longitudinally
sulcate (except Nene, which has the mesosternum carinate). The ostiolar rugae are short and auriculate,
and the evaporative areas also are reduced. In Tr ipl a t yx, the female spermathecal bulb is somewhat
spherical and provided with four to five randomly directed, bifurcating diverticula (Kment 2008); in
Nene, there are only three simple diverticula (Kment 2015); in Tricompastes, there are only two diver-
ticula (Kment and Baena 2015); and in Anoano, there is only a single diverticulum positioned apically
(Kment 2012).