ADULT ABDOMINAL CHARACTERS IN THE LYGAEOID–COREOID COMPLEX OF THE HETEROPTERA, AND THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE GROUP

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Abstract
The characters used in the classification of the logaoedic–coreoid complex of the Heteroptera vary and no simple classification into superfamilies is apparent. The abdomen provides a number of additional characters which are useful and can be used with previous ones, in the assessment of phenetic affinity. The Coreoidea can be considered as containing families with 75% affinity with the Coreidae, whilst the Lygaeoidea contains families with less than a 75% affinity with this family. Since many of the families in the complex are defined on rather subjective characters, a key based on objective abdominal characters seems more satisfactory.