Family CYDNIDAE

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Family CYDNIDAE

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15 February 2002

Introduction

The Cydnidae or burrower bugs are a cosmopolitan family of pentatomoid bugs that comprise 120 genera and 765 species worldwide (Lis et al. 2000; Henry 2009). The family is most diverse in the tropical regions of the world. The family is represented in the Australian fauna by two subfamilies, three tribes, 21 genera and 83 species.

Histories of the higher classification of the Cydnidae are given by Froeschner (1960a) and Lis (1994a). Some of the competing intrafamilial classifications are given in Table 11. The cydnids were first recognised as a family-group by Billberg (1820). Amyot & Serville (1843) divided the cydnids into two intrafamilial groups. Signoret (1881–1884) accepted these divisions, as Cydninae and Sehirinae. Froeschner (1960a) in a monograph of the Western Hemisphere established the following intrafamilial classification: Amnestinae, Cydninae, Garsauriinae, Scaptocorinae and Sehirinae. Wagner (1963) revised this classification, included the thyreocorids in the family, described new tribes, and gave the following arrangement: Cydnidae (Cydnini, Geotomini, Scaptocorini), Sehirinae, Thyreocorinae.

Dolling (1981), in a broader examination of pentatomoid taxa, supported the inclusion of the Thyreocorinae and added the Thaumastellidae (formerly in Lygaeoidea). Schaefer et al. (1988) erected a new subfamily, the Parastrachinae, for the anomalous Oriental genus Parastrachia Distant. Schuh & Slater (1995) proposed an amalgam of existing classifications, supporting the inclusion of the Thyreocorinae, the subfamilial ranking and placement of the Parastrachinae, and the exclusion of the Thaumastellidae (following Jacobs 1989). Linnavuori (1993) held a narrower concept of the family (rejecting the inclusion of the thyreocorids and thaumastellids). Lis (1994–2001) in a plethora of revisions and synthetic treatments of the cydnids, mostly of the Eastern Hemisphere, provided a classification that is most like that of Schuh & Slater (1995). He also erected a new subfamily, the Cephalocteinae, divided into two tribes, including the Scaptocorini. In the Catalogue we follow the arrangement of Lis, thus the intrafamilial taxa present in Australia are Cephalocteinae (Scaptocorini), Cydninae (Cydnini, Geotomini).

The Cydnidae of the world were catalogued by Lethierry & Severin (1893). There is no modern synthesis that deals with the Cydnidae of both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Froeschner (1960a) remains the most critical reference on the Cydnidae of the Western Hemisphere. Lis (1994a) revised the fauna of the Oriental Region and catalogued the cydnids of the Eastern Hemisphere. Linnavuori (1993) monographed the cydnids of west, central and north-east Africa. Schaefer et al. (1991) revised the Parastrachinae. Ahmad & Moizuddin (1982) revised the Thyreocorinae from Pakistan. Larivière (1995) reviewed the New Zealand cydnids. Schuh & Slater (1995) gave an overview of the family and all the subfamilies, and included key references. Pluot-Sigwalt & Lis (2008) investigated female genitalia of Cydnidae and their bearing to higher classification of the group.

Six cydnid subfamilies are not known from Australia and are distributed as follows: Amnestinae (Nearctic and Neotropical Regions), Corimelaeninae (Western Hemisphere), Garsauriinae (Eastern Hemisphere tropics), Parastrachinae (Oriental Region), Sehirinae (Western Hemisphere) and Thyreocorinae (Afrotropical, Palaearctic and Oriental Regions). As yet no species in these taxa have been recorded from Australia or are known to be held in collections.

The Cydnidae are a moderately diverse family in Australia, comprising 21 genera and 85 species, about 10% of the world's fauna, and 9 genera and 76 species are endemic. Species richness is greatest in the tropical and subtropical regions of the continent. Lis (1995b, 1996a, 1999a) reviewed and catalogued the Australian fauna. Lis' (1994a) review of the Oriental Cydnidae is also relevant to Australia.

The Cephalocteinae are indigenous to all zoogeographic regions except the Nearctic Region, and are most diverse in the Palaearctic, Oriental and Neotropical Regions. The nominotypical tribe is found in the Eastern Hemisphere but not in the Australian Region. The Scaptocorini comprises 7 genera and 27 species, mostly circumtropical. Lis (1999b) revised the world fauna, and described a new species of Scaptocoris Perty from Australia. This species was formerly misidentified as Stibaropus molginus Schiödte by Musgrave (1946) and Chadwick (1967) and claimed to be an introduction from the Oriental Region. All other species of Scaptocoris are restricted to the Neotropical Region.

The Cydninae are the most diverse cydnid subfamily and are cosmopolitan in distribution. The Australian Cydnini includes seven genera and 30 species, of which four genera and 23 species are endemic. Lis (1995a, 1995b, 1996a, 1996b, 1997, 1999a, 1999c, 2000a) and Lis & Heyna (2001) revised all of the described species. Chilocoris Mayr, with 11 species, is the most diverse genus of the tribe and is distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the continent; all but one of the species are endemic to Australia (C. neozealandicus Larivière & Froeschner also found in New Zealand). Blaena Walker is an Australian endemic genus comprising 12 species that are found mostly in the temperate regions across Australia (Froeschner 1960b, 1966) and Lis & Heyna 2001). The other genera in Cydnini comprise few species (Blaenocoris Lis; 1 species, Cydnus Fabricius; 1 species, Nishocoris Lis; 2 species, Paranishadana Lis; 1 species).

The Geotomini is represented in Australia by 12 genera and 45 species, among which three genera and 39 species are endemic. Lis (1994b, 1995b, 1996a, 1999a, 1999d, 1999e, 2000b, 2001a, 2001b) revised the Australian fauna. The most diverse genera are Adrisa Amyot & Serville (11 species), Eulonips Lis (5 species), Geotomus Mulsant and Rey (9 species) and Macroscytus Fieber (12 species). The species of Adrisa, Choerocydnus White (2 species) and Eulonips are mostly distributed in the temperate regions of Australia. Most of the other genera are found in the northern half of the continent.

Knowledge of the biology of the family is limited (Froeschner 1988). Species in the extralimital subfamilies Parastrachinae, Sehirinae and Thyreocorinae are found 'up-on-plants'. The Cydninae and the Cephalocteinae are known to feed on the roots of plants. There are occasional records of cydnids feeding on stems and fallen seeds. The eggs are laid on the soil and the larvae are subterranean in habit. The adults are commonly taken at plant roots in the soil, and at light, sometimes in very large numbers. Lis et al. (2000) summarised the bionomics of pest species of Cydnidae. They reported that 27 species have been recorded in the literature as pests. There is little recorded biological information for any endemic Australian species. The introduced species, Fromundus pygmaeus Dallas, 1851, has been found under stones and near roots (White 1878), in pineapple roots (Illingworth 1927), in sugarcane fields (Williams 1931), feeding on sugarcane (Box 1953), and have been recorded as occassionally piercing human skin (Illingworth 1931).

Diagnosis

Most cydnids are ovoid, heavily sclerotised, dark bugs, and are homogeneous in appearance. The head is often subquadrate to semicircular in shape. The head and the pronotum often possess spines. The antennae are 5-segmented. Setal combs are present on the coxae. The tibiae are armed with numerous strong spines and the apices of the mid and hind coxae are fringed with rigid setae. The tarsi are often flimsy and greatly reduced; they are 3-segmented. The ventral surface of the hind wing has a strigil. The spermatheca is small with two flanges. The larval dorsal abdominal glands are present on terga III/IV, IV/V and V/VI. (Dolling 1981; Carver et al. 1991; Schuh & Slater 1995)

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
15-Aug-2012		15-Aug-2012	MODIFIED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)

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Family CYDNIDAE

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Family CYDNIDAE

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