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Abstract Males in many species possess sexually selected weapons that they use to fight for mating opportunities. It is well established that male-male competition can lead to physical injuries for males. However, very few studies have looked at the physical consequences for conspecific females. We hypothesized that living with males in a species with male-male competition would result in female injury. Because larger female invertebrates typically have greater reproductive output, they have higher resource value for males and can elicit aggression and fighting. Thus, we further hypothesized that larger females in this context would receive more injuries. For this study, we focused on the leaf-footed cactus bug, Narnia femorata (Hemiptera: Coreidae), a species of insect in which males fight using their spiny and enlarged hindlegs. In just 2 h of observation, we documented males competing with other males in 61% of 103 trials. In 43% of these 63 competitions, females were physically contacted and sometimes attacked with a kick or squeeze. We left insects in social groups for 74 h and found that females living with multiple males had a higher likelihood of obtaining injuries (26.2% of 103 trials) compared to those living only with females (9.7% of 103 trials). In addition, larger females were more likely to be injured compared to smaller females. Our study highlights the harm that females can experience in species with male-male competition. 

Abstract The phytophagous insect superfamily Coreoidea (Heteroptera) is a diverse group of ~3100 species in five extant families, with many of agricultural importance and model organisms in behavioural studies. Most species (~2800 species) are classified in the family Coreidae (four subfamilies, 37 tribes). While previous phylogenetic studies have primarily focused on the larger and more diverse subfamilies and tribes of Coreidae, several smaller tribes remain poorly studied in a phylogenetic context. Here, we investigated the phylogenetic positions of three less diverse tribes using ultraconserved elements: Agriopocorini, Amorbini, and Manocoreini. Our study is the first to test phylogenetic hypotheses for the Agriopocorini and Amorbini in a cladistic analysis. All three tribes were recovered within the subfamily Coreinae with robust support. The monophyletic Agriopocorini were supported as the sister-group of Colpurini, the monophyletic Amorbini as sister to Mictini, and the monogeneric Manocoreini as sister to Dasynini + Homoeocerini. We briefly discuss the evolution of wing development in Coreidae, putative synapomorphies for clades of interest, and taxonomic considerations. Our study emphasizes the importance of including smaller, less diverse groups in phylogenetic analyses. By doing so, we gain valuable insights into evolutionary relationships, identify future investigations of trait evolution, and resolve systematic controversies.