Distantiella Explained

Distantiella[1] is a genus of African bugs, of the family Miridae or "capsids", named after William Lucas Distant. This genus is placed in the subtribe Odoniellina: which has been included in tribes Dicyphini or Monaloniini.

Species

The Global Biodiversity Information Facility lists:[2]

  1. Distantiella collarti (Schouteden, 1935)
  2. Distantiella theobroma (Distant, 1909) - type species (as Sahlbergella theobroma Distant)

Description, distribution and importance

The two species of Distantiella are very similar to each other externally and the genus is most similar to Sahlbergella: the latter genus differs in hind tibia with "regular" setation as opposed to dense setation in Distantiella.[3]

Both species are distributed in tropical Africa and their host plants are known to include various species of Malvaceae and Citrus. D. theobroma is a major insect pest of cacao, causing damage similar to Sahlbergella singularis in tropical Africa and Helopeltis spp. in SE Asia.[4]

Notes and References

  1. China WE (1944) Bull. Ent. Res., 35.
  2. https://www.gbif.org/species/5431365 Global Biodiversity Information Facility: Distantiella China, 1944 (retrieved 9 November 2021)
  3. Namyatova AA, Cassis G (2016) Systematics of the tribe Monaloniini Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 176, 36–136.
  4. Entwistle PF (1972) Pests of Cocoa, Longmans, London, 779 pp.