Morphology of salivary glands of some Indian Pentatominae (Insecta: Heteroptera) providing the basis in devising keys to the genera and species

The structure and shape of salivary glands of six species of different genera, viz.. Bagrada picta Fabr., Eusarcocoris guttiger Thunb., Halys dentatus Fabr., Carpocoris nigricornis Fabr., Eurydema pulchrum Westw., and Cratonota coloratus Dist. (Subfamily: Pentatominae) have been described in detail. The keys to the genera and species were prepared on the basis of (i)elongation posteriorly of broad posterior lobe of bilobed principal salivary gland, and (ii)anterior lobe with slight or without cleft. The shape of the anterior and posterior lobes, specially the width of its basal portion varied gradually in different species and has thus the added significance in their taxonomic differentiation.