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A Rapid Method to Confine and Safely Handle Bees in the Field

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Systematic methods, fossils, and relationships within Heteroptera (Insecta).

Gerasimos Cassis¹, Randall T Schuh²

¹Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia 2052.

Cladistics : the International Journal of the Willi Hennig Society

|December 8, 2021

Summary

This study re-evaluates phylogenetic relationships within Heteroptera, challenging previous classifications of fossil taxa and infraordinal groupings. Rigorous cladistic analyses are essential for accurate placement of both fossil and Recent taxa.

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Area of Science:

Entomology
Systematic Biology
Paleontology

Background:

Phylogenetic relationships within Heteroptera are subject to ongoing research and debate.
Recent studies have proposed new classifications for fossil and extant taxa.
Methodological approaches in phylogenetic analysis, particularly in paleontology, require careful consideration.

Purpose of the Study:

To critically analyze and test the phylogenetic hypotheses presented in three recent papers on Heteroptera.
To re-evaluate the taxonomic placement of specific fossil taxa, Cretopiesma and Protodoris.
To assess the validity of proposed taxonomic elevations, such as Aradoidea to infraordinal status.

Main Methods:

Analysis of a character set comprising 43 taxa and 78 characters.
Comparative analysis of morphological characters to test phylogenetic hypotheses.
Critique of phenetic methods and ad hoc cladistic approaches in paleontological studies.

Main Results:

Rejection of Cretopiesma's placement in Piesmatidae, favoring Aradidae.
Ambiguous placement of Protodoris within Thaumastocoridae, designated as incertae sedis.
Invalidation of arguments for elevating Aradoidea to infraordinal status based on autapomorphies.

Conclusions:

Rigorous cladistic analyses are a prerequisite for testable conclusions in phylogenetic studies.
Previous interpretations of fossil taxa and taxonomic rankings require revision.
The study highlights the importance of robust methodologies in resolving Heteroptera phylogeny.