Isometopinae Fieber, 1860

Yeshwanth, H. M., Chérot, F. & Henry, T. J., 2021, The Isometopinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae) of India and Sri Lanka: A Review of the Subfamily, with Descriptions of Six New Species, Zootaxa 4903 (2), pp. 151-193 : 152-153

Isometopinae Fieber, 1860

Diagnosis. Small (total length generally between 2 and 3 mm, with only one aberrant species, G. rossi Schuh & Schwartz , nearly 7 mm long), oval to elongate oval, with a wide, flattened antero-posteriorly and a frequently elongate, dorso-ventrally shaped head, generally hypognathous, deflexed to vertical. Gula reduced or absent. Ocelli present. Eyes generally large, prominent, and protruding. First and second antennal segments frequently highly modified, enlarged and flattened. Vertex and posterior margin of head often with a fringe of erect bristle-like setae. Pronotum distinctly carinate or explanate laterally, the anterior angles frequently pointed, partially surrounding eyes laterally. Mesoscutum exposed, generally bilobate. Membrane with one or rarely two cells ( Gigantometopini ). Tarsi two segmented, excepted in Gigantometopini where they are generally three segmented. Parempodia setiform, pulvilli absent. Usually with 2 meso- and 3 metafemoral trichobothria ( Schuh 1974, Schuh & Slater 1995, Akingbohungbe 1996, Schuh & Weirauch 2020), except for Gigantometopini , with 5 to 6 meso- and metafemoral trichobothria, and Sophianini , with 3 meso- and 5 metafemoral trichobothria ( Yasunaga et al. 2017). Phallotheca simple, endosoma usually membranous, secondary gonopore undifferentiated ( Konstantinov 2003, Cassis & Schuh 2012, Namyatova & Cassis 2016).

Distribution. Widely distributed in mostly tropical regions around the world ( Herczek 1993, Schuh 2002 –2013), with fewer species in the temperate Nearctic and Palearctic. Four tribes are recorded from India and Sri Lanka.