A Catalog of the Tessaratomidae of the World.

Abstract

The tessaratomids are primarily denizens of the Afro-tropical, Indomalayan and Oceanian realms, although there are representatives in Australia and the Neotropics In number of species, the family is moderate in size, containing about 235 species. Most tessaratomid species are large and a few are agricultural pests; yet the taxonomy and phytogeny of the family have been relatively neglected, perhaps because the concentrations of taxonomists and tessaratomid species do not coincide. A surprising number of taxa appear only once in the primary literature. There is also a surfeit of uncertain synonymy as well as a vagueness concerning phytogeny. Perhaps this catalog will encourage taxonomic research on the family by easing the onerous task of searching for relevant literature.