Chlorocorini

Genus Guides

Chlorocorini is a tribe of stink bugs within the Pentatominae. Phylogenetic analyses using and morphological data indicate the tribe is not monophyletic as currently circumscribed: the Arvelius and Eludocoris fall outside the group, while the remaining genera form a monophyletic clade. Most morphological characters traditionally used to diagnose the tribe are homoplastic. The hypandrium shows the slowest evolutionary rate among genital traits, while the ostiolar ruga is the most rapidly evolving trait, potentially driven by selection for anti-predatory functions.

Tomato Stink Bug - Arvelius albopunctatus, Bahia Honda State Park, Florida, December 3, 2021 (53034491735) by Judy Gallagher. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Chlorocoris distinctus by Jose Antonio Aranda Pineda. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

63943112 Chlorocoris distinctus by Eugenio Padilla. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Chlorocorini: //klɔːrəˈkɔːrɪnaɪ//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Traditional tribal diagnostic characters are unreliable due to widespread . The only non-homoplastic morphological character identified is hypandrium development. Rapidly evolving ostiolar ruga length varies considerably and should not be used as a stable diagnostic feature. Spined humeral angles of the pronotum and projections on femoral apices, previously used as diagnostic characters, have evolved multiple times independently.

Images

Distribution

Specimen records indicate presence in: Argentina, Bolivia, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, French Guyana, Grenadines, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela. Note: this distribution is inferred from specimen abbreviations in source material and may not represent confirmed natural range.

Behavior

Ostiolar ruga length, associated with function, shows rapid evolutionary change potentially linked to anti-predatory .

Similar Taxa

ArveliusConsistently placed outside Chlorocorini in phylogenetic analyses; previously included in the tribe but not part of the monophyletic core group.
EludocorisConsistently placed outside Chlorocorini in phylogenetic analyses; previously included in the tribe but not part of the monophyletic core group.

Misconceptions

The tribe has been treated as monophyletic in traditional classifications, but combined molecular and morphological data demonstrate it is with respect to other Pentatominae lineages when Arvelius and Eludocoris are included.

More Details

Phylogenetic significance

This study represents the first molecular phylogenetic analysis of any Pentatomidae tribe, establishing a framework for future revision of tribal and classifications in the .

Evolutionary rates

Contrary to expectations that genital traits evolve rapidly, the hypandrium showed the slowest evolutionary rate in this group, while external defensive structures (ostiolar ruga) evolved fastest.