Discovery in leaf litter: uncovering the systematics of Porcelloderes (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Phimophorinae).

This article focuses on the taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography of the assassin bug genus *Porcelloderes* (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Phimophorinae) from the African Eastern Arc Mountains (EAM). Through morphological and molecular analyses of 241 newly collected specimens from the Nguru, Kimboza, and Udzungwa mountain ranges, the study confirms that populations from Nguru and Kimboza represent the previously described species *Porcelloderes impenetrabilis*, while specimens from Udzungwa constitute a newly described species, *Porcelloderes harles* n. sp. Phylogenetic results place *Porcelloderes* within the epiroderine-lineage of Phimophorinae as sister to a Madagascan clade, with divergence between the two species estimated at about 15 million years ago, coinciding with climate-driven forest fragmentation in the EAM. The findings contribute to understanding speciation patterns in this biodiversity hotspot and underscore the importance of continued invertebrate research for conservation in threatened sky island ecosystems.