Elliptic Fourier Analysis in the Study of the Male Genitalia to Discriminate Three Macrolophus Species (Hemiptera: Miridae).

Within the genus (Heteroptera: Miridae), the species (Fieber), (Costa) and (Rambur) are present in the Mediterranean region on a wide variety of plant species. While can easily be separated from the other two by the black tip at the scutellum, and are cryptic species, extremely similar to one another in external traits, which has resulted in misidentifications. is an efficient biological control agent, both in greenhouse and field crops.

Comparative cytogenetic study of three Macrolophus species (Heteroptera, Miridae).

Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur, 1839) (Insecta, Heteroptera, Miridae) is a predator of key vegetable crop pests applied as a biocontrol agent in the Mediterranean region. Macrolophus pygmaeus and Macrolophus melanotoma (A. Costa, 1853) are cryptic species with great morphological similarity which results in their misidentification and negative consequences for the conservation of their populations on greenhouse and outdoor crops.