Phylogenetic position of the extinct insect family Vetanthocoridae (Heteroptera) in Cimiciformes

The extinct fossil family Vetanthocoridae, with the tribes Vetanthocorini and Crassicerini, was considered a member of the Cimicoidea. Because the tribe Vetanthocorini has been transferred to Nabidae, the systematic position of Vetanthocoridae is in doubt. <i>Punctivetanthocoris pubens</i> gen. et sp. nov. from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of China is assigned to Vetanthocoridae. Based on the combination of fossil and extant taxa, two cladistic analyses were conducted to confirm the phylogenetic position of the fossil family Vetanthocoridae within Cimiciformes and Cimicoidea. The monophyly of Cimiciformes and Cimicoidea is supported. The fossil family Vetanthocoridae is included in Cimicoidea, and forms a monophyletic group with the extant flower bugs. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:404279F9-D9F7-4871-A7C7-9839E62139BD