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Title: Synopsis and keys to the tribes, genera, and species of Miridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Part I: Bryocorinae

Author
item FERREIRA, P. S. - University Of Brazil
item Henry, Thomas

Submitted to: Zootaxa
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/27/2011
Publication Date: 6/16/2011
Citation: Ferreira, P.F., Henry, T.J. 2011. Synopsis and keys to the tribes, genera, and species of Miridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Part I: Bryocorinae. Zootaxa. 2920:1-41.

Interpretive Summary: Plant bugs represent the largest family of true bugs and include numerous agriculturally important species. Many, such as lygus bugs and the cotton fleahopper, cause millions of dollars of damage to crops annually. In contrast, a large number of other plant bugs are predatory and are considered beneficial. This report represents the first part of a six-part series on the plant bugs of Minas Gerais, the fourth largest state in Brazil. In this part, we provide diagnostic information, host plants, black and white adult dorsal drawings or photographs, and illustrations of reproductive structures to help identify the fourth largest plant bug subfamily, and the included four tribes, 24 genera, and 56 species. This information will be useful to taxonomists working on tropical bug diversity and biogeography, state and Federal regulatory agencies interested in documenting and preventing the introduction of invasive species, and all agricultural scientists involved in crop protection and biological control of plant-feeding insects.

Technical Abstract: This paper begins a series of synoptic taxonomic treatments of the Miridae known from Minas Gerais, Brazil, by subfamily, beginning with the Bryocorinae. We provide diagnoses, illustrations of most adults and male genitalia, host-plant information, distribution data, and illustrated keys to the four bryocorine tribes, 24 genera, and 56 species to facilitate identification.