Integrative Taxonomy of the Spinous Assassin Bug Genus (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) Reveals Three Cryptic Species Based on DNA Barcoding and Morphological Evidence.

Stål, 1861 (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) is endemic to China and Vietnam, with only two species, Stål, 1861 and Ren, 2001, characterized by spinous body and dentate abdominal connexivum. However, due to variable morphological characteristics, , which is widely distributed in South China, is possibly a complex of cryptic species, and was suspected to be an extreme group of the cline. In the present study, we conducted species delimitation and phylogenetic analyses based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I () gene sequences of 307 specimens collected from 30 sampling localities combined with morphological evidence. The result showed that all samples used in this study were identified as five species: is a valid species, and actually includes three cryptic species: P. Zhao and Cai sp. nov., P. Zhao and Cai sp. nov., and P. Zhao and Cai sp. nov. In this paper, the genus is systematically revised, and the morphological characteristics of the five species are compared, described, and photographed in detail. We elucidate the evolutionary history of based on results of estimated divergence time. The body shape and coloration (green in nymph and brown in adult) of match their environment and mimic the plants on which they live. The symbiotic relationship between and spinous plants is presented and discussed.