Review of the subgenus Euschistus Dallas in South America, with enphasis on the phylogeny and classification of the heros group

• Grant number: 25/04156-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Carlos José Einicker Lamas
• Grantee: Alexandre Martiniano Miranda
• Supervisor: Thomas J Henry
• Host Institution: Museu de Zoologia (MZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/17701-3 - Review of the subgenus Euschistus Dallas in South America, with enphasis on the phylogeny and classification of heros group, BP.MS

Abstract

The Carpocorini tribe is the most diverse of the Pentatominae subfamily, with more than 450 species distributed in 100 genera. The genus Euschistus Dallas, 1851, stands out for being the most diverse genus of the tribe, with 67 species, and for including species associated with extensive damage to important crops, such as Euschistus servus (Say, 1832) in cotton, corn and soybeans in the Nearctic region and Euschistus heros (Fabricius, 1798) in cotton and soybeans in the Neotropical region. Studies on the phylogenetic relationships of the genus have expanded the knowledge about its taxonomy and diversity. However, the classification of the genus into the three subgenera and the monophyly of the subgenus Euschistus (Euschistus) are still unsettled. The nominal subgenus is distributed throughout the American continent, with 54 species. It presents a poor morphological delimitation since the characters proposed in the literature do not define unique and diagnostic characteristics of the group. In South America, there are record for 16 species of the nominal subgenus, most of them requiring a taxonomic treatment based on updated information and approaches. Among the South American species of the nominal subgenus, the economic important species E. heros is grouped with five other species, the heros group. However, the monophyly of the heros group has never been tested. In this study, the taxonomy of South American species of the nominal subgenus will be reviewed and the classification of the genus Euschistus Dallas at suprageneric level will be tested, with emphasis on the species relationship of the heros group. During the BEPE period, which will occur at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C., I will access and study type-specimens and additional specimens to complete the project. The additional material to be studied includes specimens deposited at NMNH collection, which represent the most comprehensive collection on Euschistus and related genera (Neotropical Carpocorini), and specimens deposited in two other collections housed in US institutions, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), NYC, NY, and the David A Rider Collection (DAR), North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND.