Revision of the genus Myota Spinola, 1850 (Insecta: Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

• Grant number: 23/06974-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2023
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo José Sturaro
• Grantee: Nicholas Dougal Vicente Hundleby
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas (ICAQF). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Diadema. Diadema , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Myota Spinola (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is a genus of stink bugs that belong to the Pentatomidae family. It is, up to now, considered to be a monotypic taxon that had its species described by Herrich-Schäffer in 1841, within the genus Cimex Linnaeus and proposed as genus by Spinola in 1850. The species is relatively common and has a distribution in the southern part of the Atlantic Rainforest, but very little is known about its classification and biology. Given that the original description of this genus is very old and uses out-of-date terms to describe the species morphology, a revision of this taxon is important to better understand its delimitation and consequently the possibility of other studies. The objective of this project is the application of the integrative taxonomy, that is, different approaches to complement the original description of the species, which currently uses only qualitative diagnostic character. The re-description and illustration of the diagnostic characteristics and the morphological diversity found in this genus will be made based on morphological studies and the use of linear and geometric morphometric methodologies. The updating and complementation of the original description of the genus will be made, comparing and utilising current terminology of the literature and taxonomy of the group. Linear morphometry uses measures of width, length or calculated ratios from structures or parts of live beings. Whilst geometric morphometry evaluates the forms through the mathematical relation between landmarks, reference points are positioned along the structure with coordinates in two or three dimensions. From the use of these approaches, the current project will have as the expected results expansion of knowledge of the morphology of the genus, descriptions of new species and information about the distribution pattern, biology and the diagnostic characters of this group. An important aspect of the project is the training and formation in taxonomy.