Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5468 No. 2: 12 Jun. 2024
Type: Article
Published: 2024-06-12
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5468.2.6
Page range: 350-360
Abstract views: 233
PDF downloaded: 7

A new species of the small water strider genus Microvelia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from the Ryukyus, Japan, with notes on the distribution of M. kyushuensis

Laboratory of Entomology; Faculty of Agriculture; Tokyo University of Agriculture; Atsugi; Kanagawa; Japan
Laboratory of Entomology; Faculty of Agriculture; Tokyo University of Agriculture; Atsugi; Kanagawa; Japan
Hemiptera aquatic insects Gerromorpha Microveliinae taxonomy Yaeyama Islands

Abstract

A new species of the small water strider genus Microvelia Westwood, 1834, M. minsa sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae), is described from the Yaeyama Islands of the Ryukyus, Japan. It belongs to the subgenus Pacificovelia Andersen & Weir, 2003. This new species has long been confused with M. kyushuensis Esaki & Miyamoto, 1955, in Japan, but is distinguished from the latter by a larger and more slender body approximately 2.5 times as long as its maximum width, a pair of square gray to grayish-blue markings on abdominal mediotergites II, III, and V, and the male right paramere evenly curved with the apical half twisted.

 

References

  1. Andersen, N.M. & Weir, T.A. (2003) The genus Microvelia Westwood in Australia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae). Invertebrate Systematics, 17, 261–348. https://doi.org/10.1071/IS02001
  2. Esaki, T. & Miyamoto, S. (1955) Veliidae of Japan and adjacent territory (Hemiptera-Heteroptera) I. Microvelia Westwood and Pseudovelia Hoberlandt of Japan. Sieboldia, 1, 169–204, pls. 24–29.
  3. Hayashi, M. & Miyamoto, S. (2005) Hemiptera. In: Kawai, T. & Tanida, T. (Eds.), Aquatic Insects of Japan: Manual with Keys and Illustrations. Tokai University Press, Hadano, pp. 291–378. [in Japanese]
  4. Hayashi, M. & Miyamoto, S. (2006) Distributional notes on Japanese aquatic Heteroptera. Rostria, 52, 51–55. [in Japanese]
  5. Hayashi, M. & Miyamoto, S. (2018) Hemiptera. In: Kawai, T. & Tanida, T. (Eds.), Aquatic Insects of Japan: Manual with Keys and Illustrations. 2nd Edition. Tokai University Press, Hiratsuka, pp. 329–427. [in Japanese]
  6. Komagata, S. & Ogawa, K. (2022) Digital transformation for entomology: scientific drawing of insect morphology using digital devices. Japanese Journal of Entomology, New Series, 25, 128–143. [in Japanese]
  7. Matsushima, R. (2022) First report of the genus Thirumalaia Zettel & Laciny, 2021 (Hemiptera: Veliidae) in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, with the description of a new species. Zootaxa, 5138 (3), 339–346. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5138.3.7
  8. Matsushima, R., Morii, T., Hiraishi, N. & Ohba, S. (2021) A new species of small water strider in the genus Microvelia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from Aichi Prefecture, Honshu, Japan. Zoological Science, 38, 565–571. https://doi.org/10.2108/zs210035
  9. Mitamura, T., Hirasawa, K., Yoshii, S. & Liu, H.-C. (2020) Additional records of two Microvelia species from Taiwan. Rostria, 65, 91–95.
  10. Miyamoto, S. (1964) Veliidae of the Ryukyus (Hemiptera, Heteroptera). Kontyû, 32, 137–150.
  11. Nakajima, J., Hayashi, M., Ishida, K., Kitano, T. & Yoshitomi, H. (2020) Aquatic Coleoptera and Hemiptera of Japan. Bun-ichi Sogo Shuppan, Tokyo, 352 pp. [in Japanese]
  12. Polhemus, J.T. & Polhemus, D.A. (2008) Global diversity of true bugs (Heteroptera; Insecta) in freshwater. Hydrobiologia, 595, 379–391. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-9033-1
  13. Watanabe, K. (2023) A new species of the broad-shouldered water strider genus Microvelia Westwood (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands, Japan. Zootaxa, 5375 (1), 142–150. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5375.1.10
  14. Watanabe, K. & Hayashi, M. (2023) A new species of Pseudovelia Hoberlandt, 1950 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from Honshu, Japan. Zootaxa, 5239 (4), 551–562. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5239.4.6