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Diversity
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Heteroptera: Biodiversity, Evolution, Taxonomy and Conservation
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Heteroptera: Biodiversity, Evolution, Taxonomy and Conservation

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 February 2023) | Viewed by 12925

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jader de Oliveira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Public Health Entomology Lab, Public Health Faculty, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 01000, Brazil
Interests: Reduviidae; Triatominae vectors; integrative taxonomy; morphology; systematic; biodiversity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hélcio Reinaldo Gil-Santana

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Diptera Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21040, Brazil
Interests: Culicidae; Reduviidae; taxonomy; systematic
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The diversity of life in Heteroptera is amazing. They are part of the most successful group of non-holometabolic insects. The relationship between Gerromorpha, Nepomorpha, Leptopodomorpha, Cimicomorpha and Pentatomomorpha is more advanced and improving, but any progress within Enicocephalomorpha and Dipsocoromorpha is lagging behind. Integrative taxonomy and molecular systematics have contributed dramatically to speed up the generation and testing of hypotheses. Given the fascinating natural history of Heteropterans and their status as model organisms for evolutionary studies, the integration of different areas such as cladistics, analyzed in a broader biogeographic and evolutionary context, deserves increased attention. For this reason, we are accepting review articles as well as primary research articles that include original data and high-quality analysis on taxonomy, morphology, ecology and molecular biology as well as omics (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics) covering organisms from all Heteroptera infraorders. This Special Issue aims to provide a basic resource for researchers who are interested in the systematic knowledge of biodiversity in Heteroptera, whether at the level of a specific group or at the level of families, contributing to their evolution, as well as the knowledge of biodiversity and conservation.

This Special Issue aims to address the important gap in knowledge associated with the biological, systematic, taxonomic and evolutionary processes related to Heteroptera. Our goal is to compile and publish scientific articles from prominent research groups in this Special Issue to help broaden our understanding on issues related to diversity and biodiversity.

We welcome authors to submit a wide range of manuscripts that model groups present in Heteroptera. Potential topics include (but are not limited to):

  • Phylogenetics, phylogenomics and systematics of groups present in Heteroptera;
  • Evolutionary ecology, including studies related to the speciation and hybridization of groups present in Heteroptera;
  • Evolutionary and population genetics of groups present in Heteroptera;
  • Genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and phenomics of insect vectors;
  • Taxonomy assignments and review of groups present in Heteroptera.

Dr. Jader de Oliveira
Dr. Hélcio Reinaldo Gil-Santana
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • species diversity
  • integrative taxonomy
  • biodiversity and conservation
  • biogeographical patterns
  • evolutionary biology
  • medically important groups
  • groups of economic importance
  • genetic diversity
  • phylogenetics and phylogeography
  • morphological and molecular taxonomy

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 3845 KiB  
Article
Morphological and Behavioral Adaptations of Silk-Lovers (Plokiophilidae: Embiophila) for Their Lifestyle in the Silk Domiciles of Webspinners (Embioptera)
by Thies H. Büscher, J. René Harper, Neeraja Sripada, Stanislav N. Gorb, Janice S. Edgerly and Sebastian Büsse
Diversity 2023, 15(3), 415; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030415 - 11 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2597
Abstract
The diversity of true bugs gave rise to various lifestyles, including gaining advantage from other organisms. Plokiophilidae are cimicomorphan bugs that live in the silk constructions of other arthropods. One group, Embiophila, exclusively settles in the silk colonies of webspinners (Embioptera). We [...] Read more.
The diversity of true bugs gave rise to various lifestyles, including gaining advantage from other organisms. Plokiophilidae are cimicomorphan bugs that live in the silk constructions of other arthropods. One group, Embiophila, exclusively settles in the silk colonies of webspinners (Embioptera). We investigated the lifestyle of Embiophila using microscopy to study the micromorphology and material composition of the leg cuticle, choice assays and retention time measurements based on different characteristics of the embiopteran galleries and tilting experiments with different substrates to quantify the attachment performance of the bugs. Embiophila neither explicitly preferred embiopteran presence, nor required silk for locomotion, but the bugs preferred fibrous substrates during the choice experiments. The hairy attachment pad on the tibia showed the best attachment performance on substrates, with an asperity size of 1 µm. Additionally, very rough substrates enabled strong attachment, likely due to the use of claws. Our findings suggest that Embiophila settle in galleries of webspinners to benefit from the shelter against weather and predators and to feed on mites and other intruders. The combination of behavioral and functional morphological experiments enables insights into the life history of these silk-associated bugs, which would be highly challenging in the field due to the minute size and specialized lifestyle of Embiophila. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heteroptera: Biodiversity, Evolution, Taxonomy and Conservation)
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14 pages, 4981 KiB  
Article
Effects of Different Types of Agricultural Land Use on the Occurrence of Common Aquatic Bugs (Nepomorpha, Heteroptera) in Habitats with Slow Flowing Water in Bulgaria, Southeast Europe
by Desislava Stoianova
Diversity 2023, 15(2), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020292 - 17 Feb 2023
Viewed by 2008
Abstract
Agricultural activities can have a significant impact on aquatic organisms, including aquatic insects. Most of the aquatic Heteroptera are known as moderately tolerant to low oxygen and high nutrient concentrations. Nevertheless, the complex effects of agriculture (source of both pesticides and nutrient loads) [...] Read more.
Agricultural activities can have a significant impact on aquatic organisms, including aquatic insects. Most of the aquatic Heteroptera are known as moderately tolerant to low oxygen and high nutrient concentrations. Nevertheless, the complex effects of agriculture (source of both pesticides and nutrient loads) on this group are still unclear. Therefore, the relationship between six agricultural land use classes and the occurrence of common aquatic bugs in Bulgaria was studied. In order to avoid detection bias, presence-only models were applied; Maxent algorithm was used. According to the results, land use practices connected to arable land (annual crops) have stronger influence on the occurrence of the selected aquatic Heteroptera species than those connected to perennial crops (vineyards and fruit trees). Higher sensitivity to the effects of agriculture was indicated for species preferring microhabitats without macrophyte vegetation, Aphelocheirus aestivalis (Fabricius, 1794) and Micronecta griseola Horváth, 1899, compared to species preferring macrophyte dominated sites, Nepa cinerea Linnaeus, 1758, Ilyocoris cimicoides (Linnaeus, 1758) and Sigara striata (Linnaeus, 1758). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heteroptera: Biodiversity, Evolution, Taxonomy and Conservation)
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17 pages, 2464 KiB  
Article
Dietary Association with Midgut Microbiota Components of Eocanthecona furcellata (Wolff)
by Zhaolang Kuang, Jian Wen, Yongji Zhu, Xiaofang He and Kewei Chen
Diversity 2022, 14(12), 1130; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14121130 - 16 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1953
Abstract
Eocanthecona furcellata is an important predatory stinkbug that attacks many lepidopteran pests. For mass-rearing, artificial diets are used to rear this predator in the laboratory; however, the fitness of the predators is reduced, and little is known about the cause. Since gut microbiota [...] Read more.
Eocanthecona furcellata is an important predatory stinkbug that attacks many lepidopteran pests. For mass-rearing, artificial diets are used to rear this predator in the laboratory; however, the fitness of the predators is reduced, and little is known about the cause. Since gut microbiota plays vital roles in the digestion and development of many hosts and can consequently affect host fitness, an understanding of the microbial community composition of E. furcellata may help to solve this unresolved problem. We compared the development and reproduction of E. furcellata reared on an artificial diet, and a natural (Spodoptera litura) or semi-natural (Tenebrio molitor) diet, and then the midgut microbiota were assessed using high-throughput 16S rRNA. The results of the high-throughput 16S rRNA show that the bacterial richness and diversity in the artificial diet gut samples increased considerably compared with the other samples. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla in E. furcellata. At the genus level, Serratia (however, the relative abundance was lower in the artificial diet gut samples), Enterococcus, and an uncultured bacterium genus of family Enterobacteriaceae, were dominant. The midgut microbiota components significantly differed among the diets, indicating that the gut bacteria had a dietary association with E. furcellata. This study provides a better understanding of midgut microbiota and the artificial diets that might affect them in E. furcellata. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heteroptera: Biodiversity, Evolution, Taxonomy and Conservation)
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9 pages, 927 KiB  
Article
Revisiting the Genetic, Taxonomic and Evolutionary Aspects of Chagas Disease Vectors of the Triatoma phyllosoma Subcomplex (Hemiptera, Triatominae)
by Natália Regina Cesaretto, Yago Visinho dos Reis, Jader de Oliveira, Cleber Galvão and Kaio Cesar Chaboli Alevi
Diversity 2022, 14(11), 978; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14110978 - 14 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1509
Abstract
Triatoma bassolsae, T. longipennis, T. mazzottii, T. pallidipennis, T. phyllosoma and T. picturata are species that have great epidemiological importance in the transmission of Chagas disease in Mexico. However, there is no consensus regarding the specific status of these [...] Read more.
Triatoma bassolsae, T. longipennis, T. mazzottii, T. pallidipennis, T. phyllosoma and T. picturata are species that have great epidemiological importance in the transmission of Chagas disease in Mexico. However, there is no consensus regarding the specific status of these species, since they appear in various articles as species, subspecies and even subgenera. Thus, we revisited genetic, taxonomic and evolutionary data that allowed us to assess and discuss the specific status of these six species of the T. phyllosoma subcomplex. Phylogenetic studies were performed with nuclear (18S, 28S, ITS-2) and mitochondrial (16S, cytb, COI, COII, 12S) markers deposited in GenBank. In addition, data from experimental crosses were pooled and the genetic distance to the cytb gene was calculated. The phylogenetic reconstruction enabled us to rescue the six species as independent lineages. Post-zygotic reproductive isolation barriers (sterility and/or hybrid collapse) were observed for some experimental crosses. Although the other experimental crosses did not allow us to characterize reproductive barriers, these species showed high genetic distances in relation to the cytb gene (ranging from 4.6% to 14.9%). Thus, based on the revisited literature data, we confirmed the specific status of these six species of the T. phyllosoma subcomplex based on the phylogenetic and biological concepts of the species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heteroptera: Biodiversity, Evolution, Taxonomy and Conservation)
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19 pages, 549 KiB  
Article
Considering the Geographic Diversity of Natural Enemy Traits in Biological Control: A Quantitative Approach Using Orius Predators as an Example
by Tarryn Schuldiner-Harpaz and Moshe Coll
Diversity 2022, 14(11), 963; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14110963 - 10 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1721
Abstract
The desirable characteristics of effective natural enemies and the causes for failure of biological control efforts have been discussed extensively in the literature, yet predicting which collection site may yield efficient natural enemies remains a challenge. Insect characteristics, such as morphology, physiology, life [...] Read more.
The desirable characteristics of effective natural enemies and the causes for failure of biological control efforts have been discussed extensively in the literature, yet predicting which collection site may yield efficient natural enemies remains a challenge. Insect characteristics, such as morphology, physiology, life history and behavior, often vary across geographic cline and location. These variations may reflect phenotypic plasticity across environments, or genetically based local (demic) adaptation. Parameters such as body size, photoperiod response, thermal tolerance and genetic diversity may greatly influence the outcome of biological control efforts. Therefore, geographic variation in such characteristics may be used to optimize the collection site of efficient enemies to be employed in biological control programs. The first step towards this goal is compilation of data on the trait diversity of promising natural enemies across their geographic distribution range. For example, we used published information to compile a database on the geographic distribution of various traits of 92 Orius species (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae), a genus known for its potential contribution to biological control in IPM systems. We discuss how the widespread distribution of this genus in different ecozones should enable the collection of species and populations that differ in various geographically dependent traits relevant to biological control. Finally, we suggest a quantitative method to optimize collection efforts of natural enemies. This approach balances the effects of several natural enemy traits that vary geographically. Lastly, we demonstrate the use of this method by evaluating the potential employment of two geographically distinct populations of O. albidipennis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heteroptera: Biodiversity, Evolution, Taxonomy and Conservation)
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6 pages, 576 KiB  
Communication
Trends in Taxonomy of the Rhodniini Tribe (Hemiptera, Triatominae): Reproductive Incompatibility between Rhodnius neglectus Lent, 1954 and Psammolestes spp. Confirms the Generic Status of Psammolestes Bergroth, 1911
by Amanda Ravazi, Jader de Oliveira, Fernanda Fernandez Madeira, Yago Visinho dos Reis, Ana Beatriz Bortolozo de Oliveira, Cleber Galvão, Maria Tercília Vilela de Azeredo-Oliveira, João Aristeu da Rosa and Kaio Cesar Chaboli Alevi
Diversity 2022, 14(9), 761; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14090761 - 15 Sep 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1614
Abstract
The tribe Rhodniini is a monophyletic group composed of 24 species grouped in two genera: Rhodnius and Psammolestes. Rhodnius is a paraphyletic genus formed by 21 species. The event of paraphilia is supported by the greater evolutionary proximity of the species of [...] Read more.
The tribe Rhodniini is a monophyletic group composed of 24 species grouped in two genera: Rhodnius and Psammolestes. Rhodnius is a paraphyletic genus formed by 21 species. The event of paraphilia is supported by the greater evolutionary proximity of the species of the prolixus groups with the genus Psammolestes than with the other groups of Rhodnius. Based on this phenomenon, it was proposed the alteration of the genus of the species of Psammolestes to Rhodnius. Thus, we performed experimental crosses between Psammolestes spp. and R. neglectus to assess the degree of reproductive compatibility between Psammolestes and Rhodnius. Hybrids were not obtained for intergeneric crosses. Based on this, we have demonstrated that Rhodnius and Psammolestes have reproductive incompatibility. These data are important to confirm the validity of the specific status of Psammolestes, based on the biological concept of the species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heteroptera: Biodiversity, Evolution, Taxonomy and Conservation)
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