Systematics of Hypselosomatinae

Hypselosomatinae, or the “big-eyed minute litter bugs” are the most charismatic of all Schizopteridae. They are characterized amongst Schizopteridae (Dipsocoromorpha) by the excessively large eyes, often overlapping the margins of the prothorax, four-segmented labium, well developed ovipositor, and distinctive wing venation of four closed marginal cells after the costal cell (Emsley 1969, Hill 1980). Currently there are 14 extant and fossil genera comprising 72 species described species. A recent molecular phylogenetic analysis confirmed the monophyly of Hypselosomatinae that were recovered as the sister taxon to the Ogeriinae + Schizopterinae. Hypselosomatinae occur in the Old and New Worlds, but described species diversity is biased towards the Oriental and Australian regions: only three monotypic genera are currently known from the New World (Glyptocombus Heidemann, Ommatides Uhler, and Williamsocoris Carpintero & Dellapé).
 

Rochelle is working on taxonomic revisions of New World Hypselsomatinae as well as a phylogenetic, biogeographic, and ancestral state reconstruction analyses of the subfamily.

Emsley, M.G., 1969. The Schizopteridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) with the descriptions of new species from Trinidad. Memoirs of the American Entomological Society 25, 1–154.

Hill, L. 1980. Tasmanian Dipsocoroidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Journal of Australian Entomological Society, 25: 107-127.

Hoey-Chamberlain, R. and Weirauch, C. 2016. Two new genera of big-eyed minute litter bugs (Hemiptera: Schizopteridae: Hypselosomatinae) from Brazil and Cuba. Zookeys (640):79-102. [link]