Global Biogeography of Predatory Stink Bugs (Pentatomidae: Asopinae): Richness, Endemism and Regionalization

Asopinae is a globally distributed subfamily of Pentatomidae, encompassing 65 genera and over 300 known species. Most asopines are generalist predators, making them valuable for the biological control of agricultural pests. Although the subfamily has a wide global range, most genera are region-specific. To date, no database has consolidated collection sites or provided organized, updated distributional records for these predatory stink bugs. Here, we aim to build a web interactive database after compiling distribution data for Asopinae species across all continents except Antarctica, using taxonomic revisions, regional lists, catalogues, and specimen collections. Our study also examines global patterns of taxonomic richness using multiple analytical units, including political boundaries, biogeographic realms, ecoregions, and grid cells. The resulting database of 5,831 records for 299 species is now available on the "Asopinae of the World Database," an interactive, live website. Results indicate that the most species-rich countries are predominantly the world's largest, with the exception of nations characterized by high proportions of deserts or extreme environments. Species richness across ecoregions exhibits discontinuous patterns, even between adjacent areas. Among biogeographic realms, the Neotropics host the highest richness, followed by Indo-Malay, Palearctic, Afrotropic, Nearctic, and Australasian regions. Furthermore, we identified 23 bioregions that align closely with classical biogeographical realms, and we recognized 14 key areas of endemism within the group. The extensive data presented in this study offer a valuable resource for future systematic, taxonomic, biological, and applied research on Asopinae.