The primary objective of the proposed catalog is to provide a convenient reference for biologists, especially taxonomists, with a need to access the most important literature on the stinkbug family Pentatomidae. Of course, the catalog will be synoptical, listing under each valid name any synonyms that may have been used. Besides references to nomenclatural matters, references to distribution and basic biology will also be included. The latter references concern such subjects as immature stages, hosts, karotypes, genetics, morphology, parasites, predators and vectors. The catalog will also serve as an inventory of the stinkbug species of the world. The stinkbugs are the largest family of true bugs without a recent world catalog. It is probably no coincidence that classification studies on this group have fallen behind the needs of other workers. The compilers of the catalog believe that the catalog will be an important stimulus to classificatory work on the family.
