An update of the distribution of the stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) from Argentina

Pentatomidae is one of the largest families within Heteroptera, and it is represented in all zoogeographical regions, although the tropical and subtropical faunas are the most diverse. The field trips carried out in recent years in several localities in Argentina allow to update the distribution of stink bugs in the country. In this contribution, the genera Cataulax Spinola and Grazia Rolston, and the species Acledra breviscutata Breddin, Banasa peruana Thomas, Banasa dolabrata Thomas, Cataulax froeschneri Grazia, Campos & Becker, Grazia tincta (Distant), Mayrinia variegata (Distant), Mitripus acutus (Dallas), and Tylospilus peruvianus (Horváth), are recorded for the first time from Argentina. The characters used for the identification of these genera and species are provided. In addition, the geographic distribution of other 27 pentatomid species is expanded and new records of host plants are reported for Alveostethus pseudopolitus (Ruckes), Antiteuchus mixtus (Fabricius) and Pellaea stictica (Dallas).


INTRODUCTION
With 940 genera and almost 5,000 species, Pentatomidae is one of the largest families within Heteroptera (Schuh & Weirauch, 2020), and it is represented in all zoogeographical regions although the tropical and subtropical faunas are the most diverse (Grazia et al., 2015). The pentatomids are known as preserved in microvials with glycerin. All specimens were deposited in the Entomological collection of the Museo de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina (MLP). Furthermore, material deposited in the entomological collections of the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, Buenos Aires, Argentina, (MACN), Instituto Miguel Lillo, Tucumán, Argentina (IMLA), and MLP was also studied. Photographs of the species were taken using a Nikon SMZ 745 stereomicroscope and stacked with the Zerene Sacker TM software. The species were listed by subfamily and tribe according to the classification proposed by Rider et al. (2018).
The stink bugs are mostly phytophagous and feed by inserting their stylets into the food source causing injury to plant tissues. During the feeding, they may also transmit plant pathogens, which increase their potential damage (Panizzi et al., 2000). Phytophagous pentatomids are the most economically important group among the Heteroptera, because of their diversity, the wide range of host plants fed upon ˗from vegetables to trees˗, and the frequent damage to agricultural production. The economic importance of these insects varies greatly from species to species, and within a species, depending on the plant attacked (Mc Pherson & Mc Pherson, 2000;Panizzi et al., 2000;Panizzi, 2004). In the Neotropics, more than 20 species of phytophagous pentatomids cause losses or damage in several crops such as cotton, rice, corn, soybeans, sorghum, tomatoes, among others; and practically all these species are recorded in Argentina (Panizzi et al., 2000;Grazia & Schwertner, 2008).
The only pentatomids with predatory habits are the asopines (subfamily Asopinae), whose species have been increasingly studied as potential agents of pest control (De Clercq, 2000. In the Neotropics, Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) is well studied and has great potential for controlling populations of some phytophagous species (Saini, 1994;De Clercq, 2000). Other species that have been studied and are represented in Argentina are Alcaeorrhynchus grandis (Dallas), Brontocoris tabidus (Signoret) and Tylospilus nigrobinotatus (Berg) (De Clercq, 2000;Grazia & Schwertner, 2008).
Since the last work on distribution of Argentinean pentatomids by , new field trips have been carried out allowing to update the distribution of the stink bugs from Argentina. In this contribution, two genera and eight pentatomid species are recorded for the first time from Argentina; also, the distribution of other previously recorded pest and non-pest species is extended, the economic importance of some species is summarized, and additional information on host plants is provided.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
The material studied comes from field trips carried out by the author, her work group, and other colleagues in several localities of Argentina. Whenever required to confirm identification, the genital capsule of males and genital segments of females were dissected and cleared with a saturated potassium hydroxide solution for observation; dissected genitalia were Remarks. Philippi (1862) describes Jalla roehneri from Chile, and one year later Signoret (1863) describes Asopus cruciatus in his review of the Chilean Hemiptera. Stål (1867) describes the genus Comperocoris to accommodate A. cruciatus. Berg (1881) synonymizes C. cruciatus with J. roehneri and says that he received material from Valdivia (Chile) and writes "Patagonia-Valdivia". Later, Kirkaldy (1909) cites the species in "Chile; S. Patagonia". Pennington (1920) misinterprets the word "Patagonia" from the works of Berg (1881) and Kirkaldy (1909) and cites the species from Argentina. Pennington writes "Sud", referring to the fact that the species is found in the Argentine provinces of Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego. The first true record of Comperocoris roehneri in Argentina corresponds to Estancia "La Cristina", Lago Argentino, Santa Cruz province by Kormilev (1958). Coscarón (2017) also misinterprets the works of Kirkaldy (1909) and Pennington (1920), and mentioned C. roehneri from four provinces of the Argentinean Patagonia.

Subfamily Discocephalinae
Cataulax Remarks. The genus Cataulax has the following combination of diagnostic characters: body obovate; rostrum with a minute intercalary segment between basal two segments; mesosternum tumid, in a median, elevated, broad calloused ridge; metasternum hexagonal, elevated into a thicket plate, with the apical margin emarginate; third abdominal segment with a median, flat tubercle which fits in apical emargination of the metasternum; and median abdominal furrow broad and shallow, reaching sixth sternite. Cataulax froeschneri can be distinguished from other species of the genus by the structure of the parameres, the pattern of the membrane venation, the presence of bands of fuscous punctures on head and pronotum and arranged in four darkest patches along basal portion of scutellum (Grazia et al., 2000). Acledra br Acledra breviscutata eviscutata Br Breddin eddin (Fig. 1C) Distribution. Bolivia and Chile (Breddin, 1914;. Argentina: Jujuy (First country record).
Remarks. This species can be distinguished from other species of the genus by the second antennomere almost 1.5 times as long as the third; and the scutellum short, less pointed, with a small calloused fleck only near the basal angles (Breddin, 1914).
Remarks. Mitripus Rolston was originally described as a subgenus of Euschistus (Rolston, 1978), and later raised to genus by Bianchi et al. (2017). Mitripus can be distinguished from other genera by the rostrum never surpassing the posterior limit of metacoxae, mandibular plates usually subequal in length to clypeus, unarmed femora, and ivory maculae present at apex of the radial vein. Mitripus acutus differs from other Mitripus species by the humeral angles spinose (Bianchi et al., 2017).
Remarks. This species can be distinguished from the other two species of the genus by the humeral spines directed forward, forming an angle of almost 130°with the anterolateral margin of the pronotum, and the shape of the male parameres (Grazia, 1972).
Remarks. This species can be recognized by the lack of stigmatose spots on the pleura, the shape of the parameres and the emarginate gonocoxae. Most of the specimens show a discolored yellow band running through the apex of the hemelytra and scutellum (Thomas & Yonke, 1990).
Remarks. This species can be distinguished by the presence of castaneous punctures on the propleura and the dolabrate parameres (Thomas & Yonke, 1990).
Remarks. The monotypic genus Grazia Rolston superficially resembles Piezodorus Fieber but differs in having a weak mesosternal carina, in lacking a median projection on the posterior pygophoral surface and by the opening of the genital cup of normal size. The shape of the parameres and the asulcate, or very weakly sulcate tibiae distinguish Grazia from Acrosternum Fieber (Rolston & Mc Donald, 1981).