Revision of Australian Ectomocoris with the description of nine new species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae).

The Australian species of the genus Ectomocoris Mayr, 1865 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Peiratinae), are revised. A total of 13 species are recognised, including nine new species: E. binotatus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., E. borealis Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., E. fuscatus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., E. fuscifemoralis Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., E. interiorius Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., E. latus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., E. luteolus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., E. major Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov. and E. spinosus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov. Redescriptions of E. australicus (Reuter, 1881), E. decoratus (Stål, 1863), E. ornatus (Stål, 1863) and E. truculentus (Stål, 1863) are presented. Callisphodrus patricius Stål, 1867 is treated as a new junior synonym of E. ornatus (Stål, 1863). Lectotypes are designated for Eumerus (Eumerus) australicus Reuter, 1881, Pirates decoratus Stål, 1863, P. ornatus Stål, 1863, P. truculentus Stål, 1863 and C. patricius Stål, 1867. A key to species is provided together with images of dorsal habitus of males and females of different wing forms and major structures of the male genitalia to assist distinguishing these species. Based on morphology, brief comments are provided on putative species groups within the studied species. A male extragenital structure, present in almost half of the species studied, is described in detail and its potential value in diagnosis and analysis of phylogenetic relationships within the genus as well as between related peiratine genera is discussed.

Paratasmanicola inerma gen. et. sp. nov. from Tasmania (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae).

Paratasmanicola inerma gen. et. sp. nov. is described as the second genus of tribe Stygnocorini (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae: Rhyparochrominae) from Tasmania Australia, and compared with related genera to provide diagnoses, and notes on zoogeographic implications based on these genera as applying to the tribe Stygnocorini. Additionally, the new genus Paratasmanicola is compared with another Tasmanian rhyparochromid Getes Bergroth, 1916 to attempt to resolve the current uncertain tribal status of the latter genus.

Revision of Australian Parathyginus with description of two new species, along with first detailed description of aedeagus in the family Heterogastridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea).

The Australian species of the small heterogastrid genus Parathyginus Scudder, 1957 have been reviewed, resulting in the establishment of the junior subjective synonymy of P. doddi (Distant, 1918) with P. signifer (Walker, 1872), and the description of two new species, P. australis sp. nov. and P. acuminatus sp. nov. A redescription of the genus is provided with emphasis on male and female genitalia characters, along with a key to all included Australian species. Male genitalia, particularly the details of the aedeagus, have been rarely studied in this genus or for that matter the family Heterogastridae particularly due to the difficulty in inflating the inflatable sections. In this study, therefore, an attempt was made to fully inflate and describe the aedeagus of all the species included in this contribution, as well as of Heterogaster urticae (Fabricius, 1775), the type species of the oldest genus Heterogaster Schilling, 1829, of the family Heterogastridae.

Taxonomic position of Heissothignus and review of the species of Meschia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Meschiidae).

The New Guinean genus Heissothignus Slater Brailovsky, 2006 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Meschiidae) possesses several morphological characters unique to family Meschiidae but not occurring in Heterogastridae, confirming its placement within the family Meschiidae. A key to the genera of the family Meschiidae is presented. The two species of the genus Meschia Distant, 1910 recorded from the Indian subcontinent are reviewed, and the following new synonymy is proposed: M. pugnax Distant, 1910 = M. quadrimaculata Distant, 1910, syn. nov. A revised key to the species of Meschia is provided. New country and state records are provided for M. pugnax (India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand), Meschia barrowensis Malipatil, 2014 (Australia: New South Wales) and Meschia zoui Gao Malipatil, 2019 (Thailand).

Parasadoletus exsertus, a new genus and species of Heterogastridae from Australia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea).

Parasadoletus exsertus gen. and sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea: Heterogastridae) is described from Mount Glorious, southeastern Queensland, Australia, based on specimens collected associated with a rainforest tree Argyrodendron actinophyllum (F. M. Bailey) Edlin (Malvaceae). The new genus is compared and its relationship with other known genera of the family Heterogastridae elucidated, also comments on host plant associations within this family are provided.

A new species of Rhodiginus Distant from Australia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae).

Rhodiginus monteithi sp. nov., is illustrated and described as the first representative of the genus Rhodiginus Distant from Australia. The new species is compared with the two Oriental species of the genus, R. ceylonicus ((Lethierry Severin) from Sri Lanka and R. pullatus Bergroth from the Philippines. A brief discussion about the placement of the genus Rhodiginus in tribe Drymini of the subfamily Rhyparochrominae is provided.

Revision of the genus Sadoletus Distant, with description of new species from China and Australia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Heterogastridae).

The species of genus Sadoletus are revised based on re-examination of the type material. A total of eighteen species are recognized in this genus, including five new species: Sadoletus abathonotus sp. nov., Sadoletus alphus sp. nov., Sadoletus biprotuberans sp. nov., and Sadoletus planus sp. nov. from China, and Sadoletus variabilis sp. nov. as the first representative of the genus from Australia, described in the present contribution. The following new subjective synonymy is proposed: Sadoletus validus Distant, 1903 = Sadoletus subpellucidus Ban, 2018 syn. nov. Sadoletus valdezi as treated in Ban Ishikawa (2013) is proved to be a misidentification, now correctly described as Sadoletus planus sp. nov.. Three species, Sadoletus validus Distant, 1903, Sadoletus voluptarius Bergroth, 1918, Sadoletus melasmus Ban, 2018 are newly recorded from China. A key to all the known species of Sadoletus is provided. The lectotypes and paralectotypes are designated for S. validus Distant, 1903, S. pallescens Distant, 1909, S. valdezi Bergroth, 1918, S. voluptarius Bergroth, 1918, S. montanellus Bergroth, 1918 and S. montivagus Bergroth, 1918. Based on external and genitalia morphology, two "species groups" have been recognized amongst the species described in this genus until now. The main group, including 14 of the 18 known species, is confirmed as the typical Sadoletus (with type-species S. validus), for which a redefinition is provided. However the generic placement of the remaining four species is unclear at present, hence are tentatively retained under the present genus Sadoletus, pending further investigation involving other related heterogastrid genera, and using both morphological and molecular data.

A new genus and new species of Myodochini from Australia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae).

Pseudolaryngodus spectabilis gen. et sp. nov., from Little Desert National Park in Victoria, Australia, is described and illustrated. The monotypic new genus superficially resembles the udeocorine genus Laryngodus Herrich-Schaeffer in general facies, and is sympatric with one of the species of Laryngodus. Pseudolaryngodus has some characters that share its tribal placement within both Udeocorini and Myodochini of the family Rhyparochromidae. However, it lacks inner laterotergites on abdomen, making it a Myodochini rather than a Udeocorini. Details of the relationships between these two genera, along with their tribal placements, are discussed.

Meschia zoui sp. nov., first representative of the family Meschiidae from China (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea).

All the species of the family Meschiidae, known until now only from India and Australia, are reviewed. A new species, Meschia zoui sp. nov. from southern China, is described as the first representative of this family from China, also its cuticular structures are studied using the scanning electron microscope. A key to all species of Meschiidae is provided, along with a re-description of Meschia quadrimaculata Distant.

Paraindopamphantus bruneiensis gen. nov. et sp. nov., as the first representative of the subfamily Pamphantinae from South East Asia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Geocoridae: Pamphantinae: Indopamphantini).

Paraindopamphantus gen. nov., containing one species, I. bruneiensis sp. nov., is reported from Brunei, as the first member of the subfamily Pamphantinae from South East Asia and the second from the Oriental Region. The strikingly myrmecomorphic P. bruneiensis, collected only from Bukit Sulang, nr Lamunin in Brunei in the canopy of Shorea johorensis Foxw. (Dipterocarpaceae) tree by insecticide fogging is described and illustrated. The genus is placed in tribe Indopamphantini, that at present contains only other genus Indopamphantus Malipatil recorded from the Western Ghats of India. The significance of the habitus and myrmecomorphy of this species, in relation to Indopamphantus makutaensis Malipatil, is discussed. A key to the two genera of Indopamphantini is provided.

First record of the genus Ptilocerus in the Australian Region, with the description of two new species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae).

The assassin bugs of the genus Ptilocerus Gray, 1831 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Holoptilinae) occurring in the Australian Region are reviewed for the first time, resulting in the description of two new species, viz., P. spangenbergi sp. nov. (Queensland and Northern Territory, Australia) and P. papuensis sp. nov. (Papua New Guinea). The latter species differs from P. fuscus Gray, 1831 (the type-species of genus Ptilocerus) in a couple of major external morphological characters, hence its tentative placement in the genus Ptilocerus is discussed. A key for the separation of the two new species is provided.

Indopamphantus makutaensis, a new genus and species, and Indopamphantini, a new tribe of Pamphantinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Geocoridae), as the first representative of the subfamily from the Oriental Region.

Indopamphantini trib. nov., a new tribe of subfamily Pamphantinae of family Geocoridae, is erected for Indopamphantus gen. nov., containing one species, I. makutaensis sp. nov., as the first member of this subfamily from the Oriental Region. The strikingly myrmecomorphic I. makutaensis, collected only from Makuta range area within Coorg [Kodagu] district at altitudes of up to 909 metres in the canopy of Vateria indica L. (Dipterocarpaceae), a tree indigenous to the Western Ghats in south India, is described and illustrated. The affinities of the new tribe with other tribes within the Pamphantinae as well with other related subfamilies of Geocoridae and families of Lygaeoidea are discussed. The Geocoridae and Pamphantinae are redefined to accommodate this new tribe.

A revision of the Australian genus Trachylestes with the description of two new species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae).

Two new species, Trachylestes barrowensis sp. nov. from Barrow Island, Western Australia and T. queenslandensis sp. nov. from southeastern Queensland are described, and a key for their separation from other known species of the Australian endemic genus Trachylestes Stål, 1868 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) is given.

A review of Adelphocoris-Creontiades-Megacoelum complex (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Mirini), with descriptions of two new genera and four new species.

The Adelphocoris-Creontiades-Megacoelum complex of genera is reviewed. Diagnostic characters for each included genus and species are provided. Two new genera, Poppiomegacoelum n. gen. and Pseudomegacoelum n. gen., are proposed to accommodate Poppiomegacoelum gearyi n. sp. from Australia and four species from west Palearctic previously classified under Megacoelum Fieber, 1858 respectively. Three new species from Australia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands are described: Adelphocorisella rubricornis n. sp., Waucoris solomonensis n. sp. and Waucoris tricolor n. sp. The following new combinations are made: Adelphocorisella brunnescens (Poppius, 1915) [for Adelphocoris brunnescens Poppius, 1915], A. relatum (Distant, 1904) [for Megacoelum relatum Distant, 1904], Macrolygus rubrus (Carvalho, 1987) [for Waucoris rubrus Carvalho, 1987], Miyamotoa mussooriensis (Distant, 1909) [for Megacoelum mussooriense Distant, 1909], Orientomiris ater (Poppius, 1915) [for Creontiades ater Poppius, 1915], O. brunneus (Poppius, 1914) [for Creontiades brunneus Poppius, 1914], O. furhstorferi (Poppius, 1915) [for C. furhstorferi Poppius, 1915], O. maculicollis (Poppius, 1915) [for C. maculicollis Poppius, 1915], O. marginatus (Poppius, 1915) [for C. marginatus Poppius, 1915], O. montanus (Poppius, 1915) [for C. montanus Poppius, 1915], O. monticola (Poppius, 1914) [for Megacoelum monticola Poppius, 1914], O. orientalis (Poppius, 1915) [for Creontiades orientalis Poppius, 1915], O. pallidicornis (Poppius, 1915) [for Megacoelum pallidicorne Poppius, 1915], O. ravana (Kirkaldy, 1909) [for Kangra ravana Kirkaldy, 1909], O. sumatranus (Poppius, 1915) [for Adelphocoris sumatranus Poppius, 1915], O. uzeli (Poppius, 1910) [for Creontiades uzeli Poppius, 1910), Poppiocapsidea tagalica (Poppius, 1915) [for Megacoelum tagalicum Poppius, 1915], Pseudomegacoelum angustum (Wagner, 1965) [for Megacoelum angustum Wagner, 1965], P. beckeri (Fieber, 1870) [for M. beckeri (Fieber, 1870)], P. irbilanum (Linnavuori, 1988) [for M. irbilanum Linnavuori, 1988], P. quercicola (Linnavuori, 1965) [for M. quercicola Linnavuori, 1965], Waucoris poppiusi Chérot & Malipatil [new name and new combination for Megacoelum papuanum Poppius, 1915]. The following new synonymies are established: Creontiades vittipennis Reuter, 1905 (valid name) = Creontiades vitticollis Poppius, 1915 (new subjective synonym), Poppiocapsidea biseratensis (Distant, 1903) (valid name) = Megacoelum townsvillensis Distant, 1904 (new subjective synonym). Cheilocapsidea insignis (Distant, 1909) is recorded from Laos and the male genitalic structures are briefly described for the first time. A lectotype is designated for Capsus antennatus Kirby, 1891, Creontiades ater Poppius, 1915, Creontiades brunneus Poppius, 1914, Creontiades fruhstorferi Poppius, 1915, Creontiades marginatus Poppius, 1915, Creontiades uzeli Poppius, 1910, Megacoelum mussooriensis Distant, 1909, Megacoelum relatum Distant, 1904, and Megacoelum townsvillensis Distant, 1904 (original combinations). A key for the genera included in the Adelphocoris-Creontiades-Megacoelum complex is given.

DNA-based identifications reveal multiple introductions of the vegetable leafminer Liriomyza sativae (Diptera: Agromyzidae) into the Torres Strait Islands and Papua New Guinea.

Leafmining flies (Diptera: Agromyzidae) can be serious economic pests of horticultural crops. Some genera such as Liriomyza are particularly problematic with numerous species, some of which are highly polyphagous (wide host range), which can only be confidently identified morphologically from adult males. In our study, DNA barcoding was employed to establish new locality records of the vegetable leafminer fly, Liriomyza sativae, from the islands of Torres Strait (Queensland, Australia) and the central highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG). These records represent significant range extensions of this highly invasive plant pest. Specimens of immature leafminers (from leaf mines) were collected over a 5-year period during routine plant health surveys in ethanol or on FTA® filter paper cards, both methods proved effective at preserving and transporting insect DNA under tropical conditions, with FTA cards possessing some additional logistical benefits. Specimens were identified through sequencing two sections of the cytochrome oxidase I gene and the utility of each was assessed for the identification of species and intra-specific genetic lineages. Our study indicates that multiple haplotypes of L. sativae occur in PNG, while a different haplotype is present in the Torres Strait, with genetic regionalization between these areas apart from a single possible instance - one haplotype 'S.7' appears to be common between these two regions - interestingly this has also been the most common haplotype detected in previous studies of invasive L. sativae populations. The DNA barcoding methods employed here not only identified multiple introductions of L. sativae, but also appear generally applicable to the identification of other agromyzid leafminers (Phytomyzinae and Agromyzinae) and should decrease the likelihood of potentially co-amplifying internal hymenopteran parasitoids. Currently, L. sativae is still not recorded from the Australian mainland; however, further sampling of leafminer flies from Northern Australia and surrounding areas is required, as surveillance for possible Liriomyza incursions, as well as to characterize endemic species with which Liriomyza species might be confused.

Meschiidae, a new family of Lygaeoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) from India and Australia, with descriptions of a new genus and two new species .

Meschiidae fam. nov. is erected for the genera Meschia Distant, 1910, containing four species: M. pugnax Distant, 1910 and M. quadrimaculata Distant, 1910 from India, M. woodwardi Scudder, 1957 from Queensland, Australia, and M. barrowensis sp. nov. from Barrow Island, Western Australia, and the related Neomeschia gen. nov. with type species N. queenslandensis sp. nov. from Queensland, Australia. A key to all Australian species and genera is provided. Redescriptions are provided for Meschia, its type species M. pugnax, and M. woodwardi. Relationships, and reasons for the new family placement of Meschia, are discussed.

Review and revision of Australian Germalus Stål, with new genera and further new species of Australian Geocorinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Geocoridae).

During a review of Australian Germalus Stål, types of all species recorded from Australia, as well as of the type species G. kinbergi Stål, originally described from Mauritius Island, were examined and illustrated to redefine and redescribe the genus as well as all the included species. As a result of this, the following synonymies have become necessary: G. humeralis Distant as junior synonym of G. victoriae Bergroth; G. roseobistriatus Kirkaldy as junior synonym of G. lineolosus Distant. Lectotype females have been designated for Germalus victoriae Bergroth, and Germalus lineolosus Distant.        The following new taxa have been discovered in the material available for this study: Germalus australis Malipatil sp. nov., Germalus fuscovittatus Malipatil sp. nov., Germalus littoralis Malipatil sp. nov., Capitostylus kurandae Malipatil gen. et sp. nov., Unicageocoris griseus Malipatil gen. et sp. nov., and Ausogeocoris westraliensis Malipatil gen. et sp. nov. Keys to the six genera of Geocorinae, and to the six species of Germalus, now recognised in Australia, are provided.