Reclassification of the plant bug genus Pilophorus in Japan and key to the genera and species of Japanese Pilophorini (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae).

The Japanese fauna of the myrmecomorphic plant bug genus Pilophorus Hahn is updated and reclassified. Seventeen species are now recognized, including three herein described as new, P. hyotan, P. satoyamanus and P. setulosellus; and P. pullulus Poppius, 1914 which is reinstated as valid and recorded from Japan for the first time. The identity of P. okamotoi Miyamoto Lee, 1966, originally described from Korean Jeju Island and previously confused with P. satoyamanus n. sp., is reconfirmed and rediagnosed. Frequently misidentified species, P. erraticus Linnavuori, 1962 P. pseudoperplexus Josifov, 1987 and P. setulosus Horváth, 1905 as well as the little known taxon, P. choii, are rediagnosed. The distribution and diagnostic features of P. typicus (Distant, 1909) are presented in light of the recognition of P. hyotan n. sp. An updated checklist and a key to genera and species of the tribe Pilophorini are provided to aid in unequivocal identification of every Japanese pilophorine taxon. A new species of Pherolepis Kulik from Kyushu, P. hizenicus, is also described.

Two new deraeocorine plant bug species from Japan (Heteroptera, Miridae, Deraeocorinae).

Two new deraeocorine plant bug species, Fingulushenrytomi and Stethoconustakaii, are described from Japan. A color habitus image of live individuals and scanning electron micrographs are shown for each taxon to aid an unequivocal identification. A checklist and keys to species are also provided for Japanese Fingulus and Stethoconus.

Review of the mirine plant bug genus Eurystylus Stål from Japan and Taiwan (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Mirinae), with descriptions of two new species, a new synonymy and a new combination.

Species of the Old World mirine plant bug genus Eurystylus Stål (the Head Bugs) in Japan and Taiwan are reviewed. Four species are currently recognized. Two new species are diagnosed and described: E. ryukyus n. sp. (from SW Japan and Taiwan) and E. jingfui n. sp. (Taiwan). Two known species, E. coelestialium (Kirkaldy) and E. sauteri Poppius, are diagnosed; new distributional records are added for the latter. Two keys are provided to aid the identifications of (1) Eurystylus and four related genera and (2) the species of Eurystylus known from Japan and Taiwan. The phylogenetic relationships of Eurystylus with the assumed related genera are discussed. Eurystylomorpha Poppius is synonymized with Eurystylopsis Poppius, and a new combination, Eurystylopsis crassicornis (Poppius), is accordingly proposed.

Further records on the plant bug tribe Hallodapini (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae) in Asia, with proposition of two new species and a new synonymy.

A total of twelve species in five genera belonging to the phyline plant bug tribe Hallodapini are treated. Two new species are described from Indochina: Cleotomiris inthanon Duwal & Yasunaga sp. nov. (Thailand) and Cleotomiroides vietnamensis Duwal & Yasunaga sp. nov. (Vietnam). New distributional records are also presented for some known species of Hallodapus Fieber and Wygomiris Schuh. Hallodapus persimilis (Poppius) is proposed as a junior synonym of H. ravenar (Poppius). Illustrations of the endosoma for four species, including the new species, are presented. Digital images of the male genitalic structures are shown for nine species, including the two new species, and also female genitalic structures of the species of Cleotomiris Schuh, Cleotomiroides Schuh and Wygomiris Schuh, are provided. The immature forms are documented for the first time for Acrorrhinium inexpectatum (Josifov) and Wygomiris kaliyahae Yasunaga.

A crowdsourcing approach to collecting photo-based insect and plant observation records.

BACKGROUND: Scientific field observation by members of the public is known as citizen science and has become popular all across the world. Citizen science is advantageous for collecting large amounts of scientific data and can be seen as a crowdsourcing approach to data collection. Information and communications technology is enhancing the availability of citizen science. Mobile devices, such as mobile phones, that have a digital camera with a global positioning system (GPS) are necessities for contemporary life and can be utilised as powerful observation tools in citizen science. NEW INFORMATION: A web-based system has been developed as a data collection tool for citizen science. Participants submit an e-mail with a photo taken by their mobile phones. The photos contain location information, which can be easily and automatically embedded if the mobile phone is equipped with GPS. Collaboration has been undertaken with regional event managers, such as museum curators and held citizen science events in each region and for various target taxonomic groups. All photos were stored in the data server and the organisms were taxonomically identified by citizen scientists, regional managers and the authors. In total, 154 species and 843 data records were collected in this project conducted from 2011 to 2016.

Towards resolving a problem of the identity of the Aethus species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Cydnidae) occurring in Cambodia.

The genus Aethus in Cambodia is known only from a single species collected in the 1950s that was originally identified as A. indicus. However, what was regarded as A. indicus in the Oriental and Australian regions appeared to consist of three sibling species, recognizable only on the basis of male genital structures, i.e., A. philippinensis, A. pseudindicus, and true A. indicus. To date, the lack of males representing this genus from Cambodia made it impossible to verify which species actually occur in this country. The present study, based on eight males collected at the same locality in Cambodia where the specimens were originally identified as A. indicus more than 50 years ago (i.e., Siem Reap), confirmed the occurrence of A. pseudindicus, not A. indicus, as previously reported. Male genitalia, i.e. the paramere, the opening of genital capsule, and the apex of aedeagus, are described and their photographs are provided for both species.