Checklist and key to species of stink bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Pentatomidae) of Kentucky, United States of America

By

Falcón Brindis, Armando
Villanueva, Raul

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2024

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1213

Pages

75--93

Subjects

Economic importance , public databases , sampling biases , Species diversity , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1213.122843

 

Abstract

Stink bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) have received a lot of attention as there are many economically important pest species. However, the status of species richness, distribution, and taxonomy remain overlooked and outdated in Kentucky (USA). Having such information at a regional scale is crucial to allow the development of suitable pest management and conservation programs. Here, the stink bug fauna of Kentucky was examined from museum specimens, literature, and public online repositories. Overall, 42 species in 28 genera and three subfamilies (Asopinae, Podopinae, and Pentatominae) are listed from Kentucky. Thirteen species are new records for Kentucky, 10 species are considered to be of economic importance and eight are strict predators. Pictures of species are provided along with the first key for the identification of the stink bug species of Kentucky.