Procleticini Pennington

Diagnosis: Juga longer than tylus (except in some Odmalea concolor) and often contiguous in front of tylus. First antennal segment not reaching apex of head. Bucculae lobed posteriorly, each with anterior tooth; first rostral segment not surpassing posterior terminations of bucculae; rostrum usually not reaching beyond metacoxae. Each ostiolar ruga usually reaching middle of metapleuron, usually acuminate apically (except Brepholoxa). Thoracic sterna flat to sulcate. Third (second visible) abdominal sternite usually armed with anteriorly-directed spine (very small in Lobepomis and Procleticus, and lacking in Parodmalea and males of some Dendrocoris). Anterolateral pronotal margins straight to concave; humeral angles rounded to spinose, usually prominent, anterior pronotal angles dentate. Tarsi 3-segmented.

Genital plates small and as a group appearing recessed into venter; basal plates small and often partially or completely obscured by last abdominal sternite; second gonocoxae often emarginate distally; ninth paratergites subtriangular; sternite ten relatively large, quadrangular. Eighth paratergites lacking spiracles. Pygophore somewhat produced posteriorly with distinct medial emargination which may be either narrow and parallel sided or often becoming circular ventrally; usually with small emargination between lateral margins and superior ridge.

Included genera:
Aleixus McDonald, 1981
Brepholoxa Van Duzee, 1904
Dendrocoris Bergroth, 1891
Lobepomis Berg, 1891
Neoderoploa Pennington, 1922
Odmalea Bergroth, 1914
Parodmalea Rider, 1994
Procleticus Berg, 1891
Pseudobebaeus Distant, 1911
Terania Pirán, 1963
Thoreyella Spinola, 1850

Comments: The included genera can be separated into two groups based primarily on the shape and length of the scutellum. In Lobepomis, Neoderoploa, Procleticus, and Terania, the scutellum is spatulate and nearly reaches the apex of the abdomen, completely obscuring the hemelytral membranes. In Aleixus, Brepholoxa, Dendrocoris, Odmalea, Parodmalea, and Zorcadium the scutellum is subtriangular and does not reach beyond the apices of the coria. Thoreyella is intermediate in that the scutellum is not as triangular as in the latter group of genera, and although the scutellum does not approach the apex of the abdomen it is subequal to or slightly longer than the coria.

Other than the male and female genitalia, none of the above characters will define this tribe by themselves. Most genera, however, can be placed in this tribe by a combination of the above characters. The male and female genitalia seem to follow the same general shape within all genera studied and appear to be unique within the Pentatomidae.

1 Scutellum enlarged, extending distinctly beyond apices of coria to near apex of abdomen	2
- Scutellum not enlarged, usually not extending beyond apices of coria, not approaching apex of abdomen	5

2(1) Superior surface of each tibia flattened, with distinct coarse punctures	3
- Superior surface of each tibia rounded, flattened, or sulcate, but lacking punctures	4

3(2) Scutellum with distinct black fovea in each basal angle; humeral angles broad, flattened, flaring dorsad, each bearing one sharp spine and three or more blunt teeth	Lobepomis Berg
- Scutellum lacking black fovea; humeral angles large, robust, horn-like, each with single anterolaterally-directed, sharp spine	Procleticus Berg

4(2) Pronotal disc lacking transverse, pale carinae	Terania Pirán
- Pronotal disc with two transverse, pale carinae, one between humeral angles and one just posterior to pronotal cicatrices	Neoderoploa Pennington

5(1) Distal end of each ostiolar ruga rounded, unattached to metapleural plate, ruga short, reaching less than half the distance from mesial margin ostiole to lateral metapleural margin	Brepholoxa Van Duzee
- Distal end of each ostiolar ruga acuminate, attached to metapleural plate, ruga long, reaching more than half the distance from mesial margin of ostiole to lateral metapleural margin	6

6(5) Superior surface of each femur prolonged distally as small spine	7
- Femora not so armed	Dendrocoris Bergroth

7(6) Third (second visible) abdominal sternite bearing anteriorly directed spine or tubercle	8
- Abdomen unarmed ventrally	Parodmalea Rider

8(7) Juga contiguous before tylus	10
- Juga usually separated apically, if contiguous then coria decidedly bicolored, stramineous and castaneous	9

9(8) Humeri bearing large dorsal tubercle; second antennal segment longer than each succeeding segment	Aleixus McDonald
- Humeri not tuberculate; second antennal segment shorter than each succeeding segment	Odmalea Bergroth

10(8) Humeri cornute; costal angle of coria extending caudad well beyond apex of scutellum	Pseudobebaeus Distant
- Humeri angulate or spinose; costal angle of coria extending caudad little if any farther than apex of scutellum	Thoreyella Spinola

Rider, D. A. 1994. A generic conspectus of the tribe Procleticini Pennington (Heteroptera, Pentatomidae), with the description of Parodmalea rubella, new genus and species. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 102(2): 193-221.

David A. Rider
Professor of Entomology
North Dakota State University
202 Hultz Hall
Fargo, ND 58105
E-Mail: David.Rider@ndsu.edu