SAILERIOLIDAE, China & Slater, 1956

Grazia, Jocelia, Schuh, Randall T. & Wheeler, Ward C., 2008, Phylogenetic relationships of family groups in Pentatomoidea based on morphology and DNA sequences (Insecta: Heteroptera), Cladistics 24, pp. 932-976 : 964

SAILERIOLIDAE China and Slater, revised status Historical: This taxon has been treated by many authors as a subfamily of the Urostylididae . Saileriola China and Slater resembles the Urostylididae sensu

stricto mostly in the position and shape of the antennal insertion and the placement of the ocelli close to one another, the condition seen in Urostylis Westwood. China and Slater (1956) were not entirely comfortable with the placement of their new subfamily Saileriolinae under the Urostylididae , mentioning that this group must represent the Proto-Trichophora at the base of the Pentatomidae , Coreidae , and Lygaeidae . Gapud (1991) considered the group Saileriolinae + Urostylinae as the most ‘‘primitive’’ family of the Pentatomoidea , having retained many of the plesiomorphic characters which occur in Coreoidea, namely separate 2nd valvifers, dorsolateral antennophores, small bucculae, poorly developed preocular part of the head, and widely separated middle and hind coxae. Gapud (1991) studied Ruckesona vitrella Schaefer and Ashlock (1970) ; we conclude that he erroneously interpreted the 2nd valvifers in this species.

Analytical result: Whereas the Saileriolidae has previously been treated as part of the Urostylididae , our morphological analysis indicates that the Urostylididae sensu lato is not a monophyletic group. We therefore recommend recognition of Saileriolidae at the family rank, with available morphological data supporting its position as the sister-group of all non-urostylidid Pentatomoidea (see Conclusions for list of characters). The Saileriolidae is diagnosed, in our analysis, by sternite VII in females with a longitudinal cleft (420; Fig. 24 ) and trichobothria present on urosternites V– VII, lateral, 2 + 2 or at least 1 + 1 (343; Fig. 18 ) (also found in Amnestinae ).

Figures

Figs 16–24. 16. Saileriola sandakanensis (Saileriolidae). Coxae of middle and hind legs more distant from each other. 17a. Cydnus aterrimus (Cydnidae): hind tibiae, posterior view; 17b. Dallasiellus dilatipes (Cydnidae): fore tibiae, anterior view. 18. Ruckesona vitrella (Saileriolidae). Abdominal trichobothria. 19. Serbana borneensis (Phloeidae). Abdominal trichobothria. 20. Atarsocoris sp. (Cydnidae). Abdominal trichobothria. 21. Edessa sp. (Pentatomidae). Abdominal spiracles well removed from lateral margins of sternum. 22. Phloea subquadrata (Phloeidae). Male abdominal segment VIII with spiracles. 23. Tessaratoma papillosa (Tessaratomidae). Spiracles on second segment totally exposed and far removed from lateral margins of sternum. 24. Ruckesona vitrella (Saileriolidae), female. Sternite VII split on the midline.