Bebaeus punctipes, a species or a species complex?

Even though there are about one million species of insect described, it is estimated that the actual number of insect species in the world is between ten and thirty million. Being conscious of this high biodiversity could impact our understanding in topics like phylogeny, biodiversity assessment and pest management. The Acanthosomatidae (Hemiptera: Pentatomoidea) has approximately 240 species in 55 genera. Only about ten species have been identified as pests; this number, however, is misleading due to frequent misidentifications. The objective of this study is to revise the currently monotypic genus Bebaeus; provide the first record of its host plant (Rubus sp.), and to analyze its agricultural implications. Sixty specimens from different collections were examined; dissections were made with saturated KOH solution, and photos were taken with Syncroscopy Automontage ®. From the material examined, eight new species have been discovered. The eight new species have been discovered from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. The association of Bebaeus with raspberries could represent an agricultural problem, because raspberries are exported from South America to United States. Both the unexpected number of species for this genus and its host plant record in raspberries illustrate the high biodiversity that still exists on our planet, the study of which is important because it is not only part of our heritage, but also new information about the biology of this family may be discovered (for example, the fact that some of these species may be agricultural pests could be very important).