The Heteropterofauna of Italy, an update

As part of the "Checklist delle specie della fauna italiana" project, which listed the whole Italian fauna, Faraci and Rizzotti Vlach (1995) published the booklet on Heteroptera. A new project, updated "Checklist of the Italian Fauna" was launched in 2020; we here present the results regarding the Heteroptera. Each co-author dealt with a part of the Checklist: Cianferoni with Dipsocoromorpha, Gerromorpha, Nepomorpha and Leptopodomorpha, Carapezza with Microphysidae and Miridae, Faraci with the remaining Cimicomorpha and Pentatomomorpha. Only data published before November 2020 were included. The systematic order at family level is that adopted in the CHPR (Aukema & Rieger, 1995-2006 and subsequent updates) excepted Lygaeidae s.l. which are divided into families as proposed by Henry (1997) according to phylogenetic studies. In 1995, 1398 species group taxa were listed, including 81 whose presence in Italy needed confirmation; in detail: 5 Dipsocoromorpha, 33 Gerromorpha, 58 Nepomorpha (6 of which doubtful), 31 Leptopodomorpha, 730 (59) Cimicomorpha and 541 (16) Pentatomomorpha. The updated checklist lists 1395 species (45 of which still need to be confirmed if belonging to Italian fauna): 5 Dipsocoromorpha, 32 Gerromorpha, 54 Nepomorpha (1 of which doubtful), 32 Leptopodomorpha, 730 (32) Cimicomorpha and 542 (12) Pentatomomorpha. Although the total number remains almost identical, decreasing by 3 taxa, actually numerous changes occurred and the additions almost completely compensated for all the deletions made. Out of 48 families whose representatives are currently found in Italy, the most speciose is by far Miridae, with 465 (21) taxa; out of 509 (45) taxa in the former checklist, 26 were deleted as the result of misidentifications or referred to areas no more belonging to Italy and 21 were synonymised with other taxa already belonging to the Italian fauna while 34 taxa were added. Thaumastocoridae is a new entry, with the alien Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellapé (2006) which is more or less present everywhere its host plants (Eucalyptus) are widespread. The distribution is detailed in 4 (5 in 1995) macro-areas: the mainland, divided into 2 areas (the continental North and the Apennine peninsula), plus Sicily and Sardinia, each including the surrounding smaller islands. As expected, diversity in the northern regions, contiguous to continental Europe, is greater with as many as 1071 (49) taxa recorded while it is reduced in Sardinia with just 557 (38); having southern regions and Sicily intermediate values. Overall, 44 endemites and 12 subendemites are recorded; 14 of these are exclusive to Sardinia (some shared with neighbouring Corsica) and only 1 is recorded in all the macro-areas. The most significant additions are those of alien entities, now totalling 23 taxa, 10 of which cryptogenic. The families with more allochthonous elements are Tingidae (6), Reduviidae (4) and Lygaeidae (3). Four alien species (Corythauma, Corythucha, Leptoglossus, Halyomorpha) show high spreading capabilities being already found in the 4 macro-areas.