Kernegaster gen. nov. (Heteroptera, Scutelleridae, Pachycorinae) and six new species based on genital and polychromatic synapomorphies

Polychromatism is the presence of different colors or color patterns in a population. It is observed in many animal groups, abundantly in insects. Tetyra is a genus of Scutelleridae (jewel and shield bugs) containing five valid species distributed in the Americas. The three Nearctic species Tetyra antillarum (type species), T. bipunctata, and T. robusta, share more morphological traits among them than with the Neotropical species, Tetyra pinguis, Tetyra poecila, Tetyra farcta, previously considered a junior synonym but here revalidated, and six undescribed species. Here, we tested the monophyly of the genus under parsimony criteria, using 64 morphological characters (13 polychromatic characters) with equal and implied weighting schemes. We also evaluate the phylogenetic use of polychromatic characters using two supplementary analyses. The ingroup species formed a monophyletic group split in two well-defined clades, supported by more than ten characters each. One of them includes the three Nearctic species and the other nine Neotropical species. The last clade was supported by twelve character states, with six synapomorphies (mostly from polychromatic characters). Kernegaster gen. nov. is described for the Neotropical species based on genital traits and general morphology with six new species: Kernegaster chapadanus sp. nov., Kernegaster diminutus sp. nov., Kernegaster fulvescens sp. nov., Kernegaster igneus sp. nov., Kernegaster multimaculatus sp. nov., and Kernegaster rosafloresae sp. nov.