Monograph
Journal of
Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 12 November 2018 | 10(12):
12619–12714
Water bugs (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of Himalayan and sub-Himalayan
regions of West Bengal, India
Srimoyee Basu 1, Kailash Chandra
2, Kumrapuram Apadodharanan Subramanian 3 & Goutam Kumar
Saha 4
1,2 Zoological Survey of India, M Block, New
Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700053, India
3 Southern Regional Centre, Zoological
Survey of India, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600028, India
4 Department of Zoology, University of
Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019, India
1 srimoyeebasu3422@gmail.com, 2 kailash611@rediffmail.com,
3 subbuka.zsi@gmail.com, 4 gkszoo@gmail.com
(corresponding author)
Abstract: The present study reports a total of 61
Species belonging to 34 genera and 14 families from Darjeeling Himalaya and
Jalpaiguri sub Himalaya regions of West Bengal.
The study documented 11 new species to science, which were already
published, 15 new records to the state and one new record to India. The study
showed that the Nepomorphan families are mostly restricted to the slow flowing
or to the stagnant ecosystems like ponds or lakes and the running waters are
dominated mainly by the Gerromorpha. The key to all family, genera and species
of aquatic Hemiptera are provided with their distribution in India and
globally. The description of all species
with their detail photographs and distribution map were also presented here.
The diagnostic characters supported with photographs for each species are also
presented here.
Keywords: Darjeeling, Eastern Himalaya,
Heteroptera, Jalpaiguri, water bugs, West Bengal.
doi: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3060.10.12.12619-12714| ZooBank:
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2F8EE9DE-9A2A-4643-9414-56F4FEFC095E
Editor: Imran Khatri, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Pakistan. Date of publication: 12 November
2018 (online & print)
Manuscript
details: Ms # 3060 | Received 22 September 2016 | Final
received 01 October 2018 | Finally accepted 15 October 2018
Citation: Basu, S., K. Chandra, K.A. Subramanian & G.K. Saha (2018). Water bugs (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of Himalayan and
sub-Himalayan regions of West Bengal, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 10(12): 12619–12714; https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3060.10.12.12619-12714
Copyright: © Basu et
al. 2018. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT
allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium, reproduction and
distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of
publication.
Funding: MoEF & UGC.
Competing interests: The authors declare
no competing interests.
Author Details: Dr. Srimoyee Basu is currently working as a DST-National
Postdoctoral Fellow at Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata under the mentorship
of Dr. Kailash Chandra, Director, ZSI. She has completed her MSc and PhD from
University of Calcutta and has received University D.N. Roychoudhury Memorial
gold medal for scoring highest in Entomology during MSc. After PhD, she was
awarded DBT-Research Associateship and worked at ICAR-NBAIR, Bangalore. She has
been studying the systematics, diversity and distribution of aquatic bugs of
northeastern India. Dr. Kailash Chandra specializes on
taxonomy and ecology of Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hemitpera and other minor
insect orders. He has described several new species and carried our extensive
field studies in different ecosystems of India. Dr.
K.A. Subramanian has been studying aquatic insects since 1998 and
specializes on taxonomy, biogeography and ecology of Odonoata, Ephemeroptera
and Aquatic Hemiptera. Currently, studies on above groups are being carried out
in different biogeographic regions of India.
Dr. Goutam Kumar Saha is a
Professor of Zoology and Director, Institute of Agricultural Science,
University of Calcutta. He has received University gold medal twice for
securing First Class First Position in both Graduate and Post graduate level.
Prof. Saha was awarded with the prestigious National Scholarship, CSIR Senior
Fellowship, UGC Visiting Fellow, UGC Mid-Career Award, B.B. Biswas Gold Medal
and Fellow of the Zoological Society and Indian College of Allergy &
Applied Immunology. He has published 210 research papers in journals of
international repute and authored thirteen books including ‘Dust Allergy: Cause
& Concern’ published by Springer-Nature.
Author Contribuion: SB - conducted the field survey, identification of specimens,
photography of specimens and prepared the manuscript. The present Communication
is a part of her PhD thesis. KAS - designed the study, carried out GIS map
preparation and edited the manuscript. KC and GKS - edited the manuscript.
Acknowledgements: SB dedicates this monograph to her teacher Late Dr. G. Thirumalai for
being her inspiration, who introduced her to the magical world of aquatic
Hemiptera, for sharing his vast knowledge, and for supporting her throughout
the research period and wants to devote a special thanks to Mrs. A. Thirumalai
for providing her all necessary literatures. SB also expresses her indebtness
to her parents and husband for their encouragement. Special thanks are also due
to Prof. D.N. Roychoudhury, C.U., Dr. A. Bal, Dr. E. Jehamalar, Mr. Angshuman
Raha, Mrs. Munmun Chakrabarty and Mr. Ranajit Mitra for their encourgment and
help in different ways. Authors are also thankful to West Bengal Forest
Department for providing necessary permission for undertaking field surveys to
the wildest place of North Bengal. Thanks are also due to Ministry of
Environment and Forests (MOEF) for the funding support. Financial assistance
provided by UGC under MID CAREER AWARDS to Prof. G.K. Saha is gratefully
acknowledged.
INTRODUCTION
The
Eastern Himalaya region (EH) is one of the ‘Biodiversity Hotspots’, and also
physiographically diverse encompassing mountains, valleys and floodplains. This
region is located at the junction of the Indo-Malayan, Palaearctic, and
Sino-Japanese biogeographical realms (CEPF 2005) and is ecologically rich
associated with diverse flora and fauna. In fact, the variation in altitude,
landscape profiles, climatic condition and geographic complexity of EH region
considerably affect formation of varied eco-regions that favour great
assemblages of vegetation and unique fauna with a high proportion of endemism
and diversity. A recent estimate describes 3,624 species of insects, 50
molluscs, 236 fishes, 64 amphibians, 137 reptiles, 850 birds, and 397 mammalian
species from the northeastern states of India (Maheswaran 2012). The largely
inaccessible landscape, however, makes biological surveys in this region
extremely difficult. As a result, many floral and faunal groups in the
unexplored vast forest ranges of this region are taxonomically understudied.
Many small invertebrates like insects, in particular, have been neglected or
virtually ignored except for the documentation of Lepidoptera (Mani 1986) and
of Odonata (Mitra et al. 2010). As this region harbours numerous critical
habitats and several protected areas, there is a high possibility to explore
many unknown species of insects.
The
diversity of aquatic and semi-aquatic Hemiptera comprises all lotic or lentic
species that are found in different altitudes. The perennial water bodies
ranging from rivers, torrential streams, and tiny steep streams in hilly
montane areas, slow-flowing marshy streams, open marshes in valleys, stagnant
pools or forested swamps, ponds, lakes, and ditches at lower altitudes, and
seasonal ponds during the monsoon are the habitats of these bugs.They, commonly
known as ‘water bugs’, are the integral components of freshwater ecosystems and
play an important role in the food web of freshwater ecosystems as predators of
other aquatic invertebrates or scavangers (Murdoch et al. 1984). Knowledge of
their biology, feeding habits, pre-preadtor relationship is essential to study
the fish biology and for proper management of hatcheries (Thirumalai 1999).
Besides, they also serve as zoogeographical indicators due to their poor
dispersal capabilities (Jordon 1951; Hungerford & Matsuda 1958a b;
Thirumalai 1999) and proved as bio-indicators of long-term environmental
changes. Knowledge about the diversity and distribution of this group helps in
understanding the functional aspects of community structure of aquatic
ecosystem and provides the baseline data required for developing strategies for
the effective conservation and management of freshwater ecosystems. Some of
them are efficient bio-control agents of mosquito larvae (Saha et al. 2010).
However, documentation of these bugs in the current study area is still
insufficient. The present study, hence, focuses on the taxonomy, and
distribution of aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera in the Himalayan and
sub-Himalayan regions of West Bengal.
MATERIALS AND
METHODS
Study Area
The
present study was conducted in two regions of West Bengal—in Darjeeling region,
a part of Eastern Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspots, and in Jalapiguri region
that encompasses the Himalayan foothills of West Bengal (Fig. 1).
Darjeeling Himalaya
Geography:
Darjeeling Himalaya is bounded by the State of Sikkim on the north, Uttar
Dinajpur District of West Bengal in the south, Bhutan on the east, and Nepal on
the west. It is situated between 26’31–27’13 0N and 87’59–88’53 0E,
with an area of 3,149km2.
Heavy precipitation during monsoon results in landslides. The river
Teesta divides the region into two parts: (a) the hills to the east of Teesta
and (b) the hills to the west of Teesta. In the hill to the west of Teesta,
there are two distinct ranges—the Singalila Range and the Darjeeling-Kurseong
Range. The hill to the east of Teesta is the Chola Range; Kalimpong Town is
situated here.
Rivers
and Forests: River Teesta is the major river flowing in this area. Besides
Teesta, the rivers that drain this region are Mechi, Balason, Mahananda,
Gheesh, Leesh, Chel, Neora, Jaldhaka and Rangit — they originate from the
Himalaya and are perennial in nature. Darjeeling encompasses two national parks
— Neora Valley National Park and Singalila National Park, and three wildlife
sanctuaries — Jorpokhri, Mahananda, and Senchal. The four major types of
forests found in this region according to altitudinal gradients are (1)
tropical moist deciduous forest, (2) tropical evergreen lower montane forest,
(3) tropical evergreen upper montane forest, and (4) temperate forest.
Climate:
Spring and autumn are the seasons most favoured by tourists. The monsoon is
a period of continuous rainfall and the winter is unpleasant and extremely cold
(after December). A very high intensity of rainfall within a short span of time
is common in the hills of Darjeeling. The annual total rainfall varies from
1870–3690 mm. The mean annual temperature fluctuates from 24°C in the plains to
below 10°C on the ridges.
Jalpaiguri sub-Himalaya
Jalpaiguri
region is a narrow stretch of land that lies between the Sikkim-Darjeeling
Himalayas and the Gangetic plains of West Bengal, covering an area of 6, 245
sq. km.
Geography:
It is situated between 26°16ʹN–27°N and 88°4ʹE–89°53ʹE. The district has a
major part of undulating Himalayan foothills called Dooars and its southern
part is plains. It has international borders with Bhutan and Bangladesh in the
north and south, respectively, and is marked with Assam, Darjeeling, and
Coochbehar in the east, west, and westwards respectively.
Rivers
and Forests: The entire region is crisscrossed by many rivers and their
tributaries. The major rivers in the region are Teesta, Torsa, Jaldhaka,
Raidhak, Dyna, Murti, Neora, Mal, Karola, Mujnai, Sankosh, etc. They are rain-fed
rivers and cause floods every year. A major part of this area is covered by
forests. It encircles several wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, and reserve
forests such as Gorumara National Park, Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary,
Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, Chilapata Forest, Buxa Tiger Reserve, North
Khairabai and South Khairabari Reserve Forests, and Jayanti Forest. The main
forest cover comprises of semi-moist deciduous vegetation. In addition, this
region has grassland forests, evergreen forests, riverine forests, savanna
grasslands, and swamps that harbour a wide spectrum of wildlife.
Climate:
Jalpaiguri is a part of the monsoon climate zone of Southeast Asia. May is the
hottest month with an average minimum temperature of about 35°C, whereas
January is the coldest month with an average of 10°C. This region is humid with
the annual average humidity of 82%. July is the wettest month with more than
800mm of rainfall. The annual average rainfall is 4099 mm. Thunderstorms and
hailstorms are common in Jalpaiguri during April–May.
METHODS
Collection of Samples
Systematic
stratified random sampling was carried out to collect all the families of
aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera in different wetlands (Image 1) ranging
from ponds, lakes, waterfalls, hill streams, rivers, riffles, runs, roadside
seeps, forested pools, and irrigation canals (those within paddy fields,
agricultural fields and tea gardens etc.) in the study area. The aquatic and
semi-aquatic Heteroptera were sampled from 86 localities located between
26.48°N–27.17°N and 88.07°E–89.69°E across Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri Districts
of West Bengal from March, 2011 to October, 2013. Global Positioning System
(GPS) was used to determine the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the
region. Details of the study sites, altitudes, latitudes, longitudes, habitat
types, and land use patterns are provided in Appendix 1.
The
aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera were collected from different habitats
using kick nets, pond nets, dip nets, fine-meshed fish nets held between two
people, or a rectangular net with a small handle following ‘all out search
method’ (Subramanian & Sivaramakrishnan 2007). Within each sampling area,
all possible microhabitats such as bedrocks, cobbles, water surface, between
boulders, dead wood fallen on the streams, floating aquatic vegetations like
water hyacinth, duckweeds, pond weeds, etc were sampled. Samples were carefully
taken by hand-picking or using forceps and brush to avoid any kind of injury.
Preservation of samples
Collected
samples were immediately transferred to Borosil glass vials containing 75%
ethyl alcohol from each sampling site and were labeled properly with the field
ID. A good number of individuals of each species were collected to maximize the
likelihood of obtaining intact specimens from each sampling site.
Sorting and Identification
Collected
samples were brought to the laboratory and sorted using a stereoscopic
Binocular (LeicaEZ4HD). They were identified using standard taxonomic
literature and measurements were taken for each body parts. The male genital
segment was removed and immersed in 10% Potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution for
half an hour to dissolve the muscle tissues and then dissected to confirm the
species. The camera lucida line drawing was undertaken using the same
microscope for a few species. All measurements are taken in millimeters (mm).
Data Analysis
The
species distribution across the study area was geo-referenced. The distribution
maps were then prepared using the geo-referenced data by using DIVA GIS version
7.5.0 (Hijmans et al. 2012) and QGIS 2.0.1-Dufour (QGIS Development team 2013).
The species diversity and richness were also mapped using DIVA GIS software.
Taxonomic documentation
A total
of 61 species under 34 genera and 14 families of aquatic and semi-aquatic
Heteroptera were collected during 2011 and 2013 from the Himalayan and
sub-Himalayan regions of West Bengal. An identification key is provided for all
the families, subfamilies, genera, and species of water bugs coupled with their
diagnostic characters.
Systematic list
Class Insecta
Order Hemiptera
Suborder
Heteroptera
Infraorder Nepomorpha Popov, 1968
Superfamily Naucoroidea Leach, 1815
Family Apheloheiridae Fieber, 1851
Genus Aphelocheirus Westwood, 1833
Subgenus
Aphelocheirus Westwood, 1833
Aphelocheirus
pradhanae Zettel,
1998*
Aphelocheirus
thirumalaii Basu,
Subramanian & Saha, 2013
Family Naucoridae Leach, 1815
Subfamily Laccocorinae Stal, 1876
Genus Heleocoris Stal, 1876
Heleocoris
bengalensis bengalensis Montandon, 1910
Superfamily Nepoidea Latreille, 1802
Family Belostomatidae Leach, 1815
Subfamily Belostomatinae Leach, 1815
Genus Diplonychus Laporte, 1833
Diplonychus
annulatus (Fabricius,
1781)
Diplonychus
rusticus (Fabricius,
1781)
Subfamily Lethocerinae Lauck & Menke, 1961
Genus Lethocerus Mayr, 1853
Lethocerus
indicus
(Lepeletiler & Serville, 1825)
Family Nepidae Latreille, 1802
Subfamily Nepinae Latreille, 1802
Genus Laccotrephes Stal, 1866
Laccotrephes
griseus (Guerin-Meneville,
1844)
Subfamily Ranatrinae Douglas & Scott, 1865
Genus Cercotmetus Amyot and Serville, 1843
Cercotmetus
pilipes (Dallas,
1850)*
Genus Ranatra Fabricius, 1790
Ranatra
digitata Hafiz &
Pradhan, 1947
Ranatra
filiformis Fabricius,
1790
Ranatra
varipes varipes Stal,
1861
Ranatra
varipes atropha
Montandon, 1903*
Superfamily Notonectoidea Latreille, 1802
Family Notonectidae Latreille, 1802
Subfamily Anisopinae Hutchinson, 1929
Genus Anisops Spinola, 1837
Anisops
breddini Kirkaldy,
1901
Anisops
nasutus Fieber,
1851
Anisops
sardeus sardeus
Herrich-Shaffer, 1850
Anisops
paranigrolineatus Brooks, 1951*
Subfamily Notonectinae Latrielle, 1802
Genus Enithares Spinola, 1837
Enithares
mandalayensis
Distant, 1910*
Enithares
unicata Lundblad,
1933**
Genus Nychia Stal, 1860
Nychia
sappho Kirkaldy,
1901
Superfamily
Corixoidea
Leach, 1815
Family Corixidae Leach, 1815
Subfamily
Corixinae
Leach, 1815
Genus Sigara Fabricius, 1775
SubgenusTropocorixa Hutchinson, 1940
Sigara
promontoria
(Distant, 1910)
Subgenus
Vermicorixa Walton, 1940
Sigara
kempi
(Hutchinson, 1940)
Family Micronectidae Jaczewski, 1924
Subfamily Micronectinae Jaczewski, 1924
Genus Micronecta Kirkaldy, 1897
Subgenus
Basilonecta Hutchinson, 1940
Micronecta
scutellaris scutellaris (Stal, 1858)
Subgenus
Dichaetonecta Hutchinson, 1940
Micronecta
desertana desertana Distant, 1920*
Subgenus
Unguinecta Nieser, Chen and Yang, 2005
Micronecta
khasiensis Hutchinson,
1940*
Subgenus
Sigmonecta Wroblewski, 1962
Micronecta
quadristrigata Breddin,
1905
Subgenus
Pardanecta Wroblewski, 1962
Micronecta
haliploides
Horvath, 1904
Micronecta
ludibunda Breddin,
1905 (subgenus position not clear, Thirumalai, 2007)*
Superfamily Pleoidea Fieber, 1851
Family Pleidae Fieber, 1851
Genus Paraplea Esaki and China, 1928
Paraplea
frontalis (Fieber,
1844)
Family Helotrephidae Esaki and China, 1927
GenusTiphotrephes Esaki and China, 1928
Tiphotrephes
indicus (Distant,
1910)
Infraorder Gerromorpha Popov, 1971
Superfamily Mesovelioidea Douglas and Scott, 1867
Family Mesoveliidae Douglas and Scott, 1867
Subfamily Mesoveliinae Douglas and Scott, 1867
Genus Mesovelia Mulsant and Rey, 1852
Mesovelia
horvathi Lundblad,
1934*
Mesovelia
vittigera Horvath,
1895
Superfamily Hydrometroidea Billberg, 1820
Family Hydrometridae Billberg, 1820
Subfamily Hydrometrinae Esaki, 1927
Genus Hydrometra Latreille, 1796
Hydrometra
greeni Kirkaldy,
1898
Superfamily Gerroidea Reuter, 1910
Family Veliidae Amyot & Serville, 1843
Subfamily Microveliinae China & Usinger, 1949
Genus Microvelia Westwood, 1834
Microvelia
albomaculata
Distant, 1910
Microvelia
douglasi Scott, 1874
Subfamily Rhagoveliinae China & Usinger, 1949
Genus Rhagovelia Mayr, 1865
Subgenus
Neorhagovelia Matsuda, 1956
Rhagovelia
sumatrensis
Lundblad, 1936 *
Subfamily Veliinae China & Usinger, 1949
Genus Velia Latreille, 1804
Subgenus
Cesavelia Koçak & Kemal, 2010
Velia
mitrai Basu,
Subramanian & Polhemus, 2013
Family Gerridae Leach, 1815
Subfamily Rhagadotarsinae Lundblad, 1934
Genus Rhagadotarsus Breddin, 1905
Rhagadotarsus
kraepelini Breddin,
1905
Subfamily Eotrechinae Matsuda, 1960
Genus Amemboa Esaki, 1925
Amemboa
kumari (Distant,
1910)*
Amemboa
mahananda Basu,
Subramanian & Polhemus, 2014
Amemboa
bifurcata Basu,
Subramanian & Polhemus, 2014
Genus Chimarrhometra Bianchi, 1896
Chimarrhometra
orientalis (Distant,
1879)
Genus Onychotrechus Kirkaldy, 1903
Onychotrechus
dooarsicus
Subramanian, Basu & Zettel, 2014
Subfamily Cylindrostethinae Matsuda, 1960
Genus Cylindrostethus Mayr, 1865
Cylindrostethus
productus (Spinola,
1840)
Subfamily Gerrinae Bianchi, 1896
Genus Aquarius Schellenberg, 1800
Aquarius
adelaides (Dohrn,
1860)
Genus Gerris Fabricius, 1794
Subgenus
Gerris Fabricius, 1794
Gerris
nepalensis Distant,
1910*
Subgenus
Macrogerris Andersen, 1993
Gerris
gracilicornis (Horvath,
1879)
Genus Neogerris Matsumura, 1913
Neogerris
parvulus (Stal,
1859)
Genus Limnogonus Stal, 1868
Subgenus
Limnogonus Stal, 1868
Limnogonus
fossarum fossarum (Fabricius, 1775)
Limnogonus
nitidus (Mayr,
1865)
Subfamily Halobatinae Bianchi, 1896
Genus Metrocoris Mayr, 1865
Metrocoris
anderseni Chen &
Nieser, 1993*
Metrocoris
murtiensis Basu,
Polhemus & Subramanian, 2016
Metrocoris
lavitra Basu,
Polhemus, Subramanian & Saha, 2016
Metrocoris
dinendrai Basu,
Polhemus & Subramanian, 2016
Metrocoris
deceptor Basu,
Polhemus & Subramanian, 2016
Metrocoris
darjeelingensis Basu,
Polhemus & Subramanian, 2016
Genus Ventidius Distant, 1910
Subgenus
Ventidius Distant, 1910
Ventidius
sushmae Gupta, 1981
Subfamily Ptilomerinae Bianchi, 1896
Genus Heterobates Bianchi, 1896
Heterobates
rihandi (Pradhan,
1950)*
Genus Pleciobates Esaki, 1930
Pleciobates
bengalensis
Jehamalar, Basu & Zettel, 2014
Genus Ptilomera Amyot & Serville, 1843
Subgenus
Proptilomera
Hungerford
& Matsuda, 1958
Ptilomera
himalayensis
Hungerford & Matsuda, 1958
Subgenus
Ptilomera Amyot & Serville, 1843
Ptilomera
laticaudata
(Hardwicke, 1823)
Superfamily Hebroidea Amyot & Serville, 1843
Family Hebridae Amyot & Serville, 1843
Subfamily
Hebrinae
Amyot & Serville, 1843
Genus Timasius Distant, 1909
Timasius sp.
Among
these, 15 species (marked with*) are new records to the State of West Bengal
and one species (marked with**) is new record to India.
Infraorder Nepomorpha Popov, 1968
Family Aphelocheiridae Fieber, 1851
Carnivorous,
small flattened oval bugs.Body 8–10mm long, with head as broad as long. Fore
legs non-raptorial, hind legs fringed with swimming hairs without respiratory
siphon, mostly without wings.
Genus Aphelocheirus Westwood, 1833
Diagnosis:
Body
elongated, oval, dark brownish to grayish species. Length more or less than 6.0
mm. Wing pads of brachypterous forms large, covering at least half of the
metanotum laterally. Inner propleural projection notched apically. Abdominal
scent gland located closer to midline than to lateral margin of abdomen.
Spiracular rosettes present in the abdominal sternites of both sexes. Peg-like
spines present on the posterior margin of abdominal ventrites medially. A pair
of hydrostatic sense organs present on the second abdominal ventrite in adults.
Male parameres are asymmetrical. Female sub-genital plate usually with small
peg-like setae.
Aphelocheirus (Aphelocheirus) pradhanae Zettel, 1998 (Image 2 a–g)
Material
examined: Reg.no.
3143/H15, 1 female, 22.iii.1973, Durbin forest, Ghoombhanjang, Darjeeling
District, West Bengal, India, coll. Dr. P.K. Maiti, in wet preservation,
Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length 7.8–8.8mm; maximum width of body across third abdominal segment
4.8–5.7mm.
Description:
Head 0.95 times as long as wide. Eye 0.80mm in length and 0.30mm in width.
Rostrum reaching up to meso coxae, 3.2mm in length. Hemelytra narrowly
separated from each other in brachypterous forms (Image 2d). Pronotum 3.45
times as broad as long. Propleura rounded bluntly (Image 2e). Inner propleural
projection notched apically. Abdominal sternite without spine-like bristles.
Abdomen 4.9mm in width and 4.4mm in length.
Genital
segment: Female
seventh abdominal sternite 1.36mm in length and 1.91mm in width. Female
sub-genital plate rounded at apex (Image 2f,g). Presence of long thick hair
tufts at distal half, but without distinct sub-apical hair cluster.
Global
distribution: Nepal
and India.
Distribution
in India: Sikkim and
West Bengal (Fig. 2).
Habitat:
Riffles,
streams, lakes, and shallow ponds within tea gardens.
Remarks:
This species
is a new record to the State of West Bengal; sorted from the backlog collection
of Zoological Survey of India.This tropical bottom bugs mainly inhabit the
shallow bottom of streams and riffles. They are very difficult to collect and
can easily escape viewer’s eyes.
Aphelocheirus (Aphelocheirus) thirumalaii Basu, Subramanian & Saha, 2013 (Image
3 a–d; Image 4 e–j)
Material
examined: Regn.no.
2775-2776/H15, 5 males, 11 females, 17.iii.2012, Dhupjhora, Murti River within
Gorumara National Park, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu,
in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length 7.0–7.7 mm; ovate in appearance (Image 3a); maximum body width across
third abdominal segment 4.3–4.6 mm; width of pronotum 2.8mm; maximum width of
head (including eyes) 1.6mm; width of head (excluding eyes) 1.2mm.
Description:
Dorsally, colour varies from pale brown to dark brown. Head yellow with an
inverted V-shaped marking towards the anterior margin, a more or less
triangular fuscous spot posteriorly. Pronotum overall brown with a more or less
rectangular yellow spot medially, lateral margin pale. Head dorsally, with fine
punctures, slightly produced ahead of eyes. Head length 1.4mm. Eyes 2.3 times
longer than broad. Interocular region three times as wide the eye width.
Antenna glabrous, length of antennal segments 1–4: 0.12mm, 0.16mm, 0.22mm,
0.31mm. Pronotum’s length 0.73mm, width
2.85mm, with dense punctures, denticulate laterally; posterior margin nearly
straight. Hemelytra touching each other at mid-line (Image 3d), each 1.5 times
longer than broad, with intense punctures, embolium with sparse, black, short
hairs. Propleura rounded posteriorly, with blunt inner propleural projection.
Metasternum weakly carinated, metaxipus small, laterally concave with apex more
or less acuminate. Abdominal tergites with dense black short hairs, laterally
on each side. Tergites II–IV symmetrical, sternum IV–VI with median protrusion,
but without peg-like setae. Fore femora with prominent golden setae, mid and
hind femora and tibia with dense long golden hairs, claws well-developed and
curved.
Male
Genitalia: Genital capsule broadly rounded (Image 4f), with scattered
golden, prominent hairs. Parandria as in Image 4e, left parandrium much longer
and more acuminated towards apex than the right one and right parandrium wide
with truncated apex. Aedeagus (Image 4e) elongated and slender,
well-sclerotized, its apex slightly acuminated. Left paramere distinctly wider
than the right one. Left paramere (Image 4j) stout, gently curved, widened
sub-basally and at distal two-thirds of length, slightly constricted near
mid-length, tapering towards its narrowly rounded apex, seven spines arranged
in two parallel rows. Right paramere (Image 4i) relatively slender, acuminated
basally, with nearly uniform width and more concave apically, six stout spines
located medially and bunch of setae arising from the concave margin.
Female
Genitalia: Subgenital plate (Image 4h) narrowly triangular, with sub-apical
and lateral setal tuft and extreme lateral long setal tuft on each side; a
broad medial zone, clothed with golden setae.
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: West Bengal.
Habitat:
Shallow,
swiftly flowing streams with rocky substratum and full of loose gravels and
pebbles covered with algae.
Remarks:
Aphelocheirus
(A.) thirumalaii Basu,
Subramanian & Saha, 2013 is closely related A. (A.) boukali Zettel,
2000. But, can be easily distinguished by the relatively small and slender
body, and by its paramere structure and subgenital plate of the female.
Family Belostomatidae Leach, 1815
Largest
bug among all aquatic hemipterans and also called as ‘giant water bug’. Size ranges from 10–110 mm, flat, brown, oval
or oblong insects. The most distinctive
feature is presence of a pair of retractile, strap-like appendages at the
abdominal apex, possessing a spiracle basally.
Genus Diplonychus Laporte, 1833
Diagnosis:
Relatively
small, ovate and yellowish- brown bugs. Body length less than 20mm. Body
dorso-ventrally flattened. Head produced ahead of eyes, apex of head
sub-triangular, head width less than twice the maximum interocular width. Eyes
with inner margins convergent. Mid and hind tibiae not flattened.
Diplonychus annulatus (Fabricius, 1781) (Image 5a–f)
1781. Nepa
annulata Fabricius, Carol. Ernest. Bohn Iii, Hamburger et Kiloni,
333.
1833. Sphaerodema
rotundata Laporte, Systematique Hemipteres, Zoologie, Paris,
18.
1863. Sphaerodema
annulatum (Fabricius): Dufour, Annales de la Societe Entomologique de
France, 4(3): 397.
Material
examined: Regn. no.
3139/H15, 1 female, 17.ix.2011, pond (1) near Baradighi, Malbazar, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 3males, 1female, 17.ix.2011, pond
(2) near Baradighi, Malbazar, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S.
Basu; 1male, 19.iv.2013, Raidhak River, Alipurduar District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S. Basu; 4males, 3females, 13.iii.2011, Teesta Canal, Teesta
Barrage, Gajaldoba, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in
wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of adult insects ranges from 19–22mm.
Description:
Apex of head acute, length of head ranges from 2.1 to 2.4 mm, width 5.4–5.5 mm.
Posterior pronotal angle acute with setae. Hemelytra broad, 2.2 times longer
than width (L/W=15.5/6.8). Wing membrane small, not extended to inner margin.
Fore tarsus two-segmented. Fore femora broad. Males are without tuft of setae
on their respiratory strap.
Genitalia:
Male genital plate more acute. Male parameres almost straight. Female
sub-genital plate truncated near end.
Global
distribution: India,
Bangladesh, Pakistan, Taiwan, and China
Distribution
in India: Andhra
Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal,
and Himachal Pradesh
Habitat:
Ponds, pools
found within aquatic vegetation such as water hyacinth, and rivers.
Remarks:
D. annulatus is the largest species among all Diplonychus
having the maximum length and width. Male of D. annulatus carries eggs
on their back until they hatch. These predatory bugs feed on other aquatic
insects, crustaceans, mosquito larvae (Saha et al. 2010) and even small fishes.
Diplonychus rusticus (Fabricius, 1781) (Image 6a–h)
1781. Nepa
rustica Fabricius, Carol. Ernest. Bohnii, Hamburgi et Kiloni, 333.
1871. Diplonychus
rusticum (Fabricius): Mayr, Verhandlungen der Zoologisch-Botanischen
Gesellschaft in Wien, 21: 437.
1906. Sphaerodema
rusticum (Fabricius): Distant, Fauna of British India, 3: 36.
1915: Sphaerodema
rustica (Fabricius): Bergroth, Journal of Bombay Natural History Society,
24: 179.
1980. Diplonychus
indicus (Fabricius): Venkatesan and Rao, Journal of Bombay Natural
History Society, 77: 299.
Material
examined: Regn.no.
3140/H15, 1 male, 1 female, 4 nymphs, 17.iii.2012, Kalipur Wetland, within
Gorumara National Park, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu;
2 females, 17.ix.2011, pond (2) near Baradighi, Malbazar, Jalpaiguri District,
West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of
India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Adult
insects may attain a length of 15.4–16.5 mm.
Description:
Apex of head blunt, posterior pronotal angle less acute, without setae. Length
of head 1.2–1.4 mm, width 3.9–4.1 mm. Hemelytra 11.9–12.2 mm in length, width
4.7–5.4 mm. Wing membrane small and extended to inner margin, spiny patch of
corium almost oblong. Hind wings broad. Anterior tarsus single segmented and
with a small claw. Pubescent stripe of abdominal sternum is distinct.
Genitalia:
Male genital plate more obtuse. Male with tuft of setae on respiratory strap.
Male paramere curved, pointed at apex. Female subgenital plate as in Image 4f.
Global
distribution: India,
Australia, Myanmar, China, Indonesia, Formosa, Japan, Malaysia, New Guinea, New
Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Distribution
in India: Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh,
Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Pondicherry, Punjab,
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Ponds,
pools, and lakes with rich aquatic vegetation.
Remarks:
Diplonychus
rusticus (Fabricius)
is closely related to Diplonychus molestus Dufour, but can be
distinguished by the posterior pronotal angle and male genitalia. This species
shows cosmopolitan distribution. They are common in fish ponds and voraciously
feed on fish fingerlings.
Genus Lethocerus Mayr, 1853
Diagnosis:
Body
elongated, larger species. Eyes equal to or wider than synthlipsis. Head width
more than twice the interocular width. Clypeal suture nearly absent. Anterior
margin of pronotum relatively straight. Fore trochanter with a depression. Fore
femur wider than hind femur, inner side convex. Tibial pads symmetrical. Second
tarsal segment of fore leg shorter than third tarsal segment. Parameres
symmetrical, widened and elongated, with more or less pointed apex. Female
genital segment with two small protuberances.
Lethocerus indicus (Lepeletiler & Serville, 1825): Image
6. a–f and Image 7. g–h
1825. Belostoma
indica Lepeletiler and Serville, Encyclopedie Methodique Agasse, Paris,
X: 272.
1871. Belostoma
indicum Lepeletiler and Serville: Mayr, Verhandlungen der Zoologisch-Botanischen
Gesellschaft in Wien, 21: 426.
1906. Belostoma
indicum (Lepeletiler and Serville): Distant, Fauna of British India,
3: 38.
Material
examined: Regn.no.3504/H15,
1 male, 8.xi.2013, Murti River, infront of Murti Banani Bungalow, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. M. Chakrabarty, in wet preservation,
Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Larger
species, body length of male ranges from 60–85mm, maximum body width 27–30mm;
female attains a length of 75–90mm, maximum body width 36–38mm.
Description:
Body narrowly elliptical. Head infront of eyes not conically produced, length
of head 1.24mm and width (including eyes) 3.99mm. Antennae small, hidden inside
a groove ventrally. Rostrum sharp, stout, 2.7mm in length, interocular region
(1.56mm) is little wider than the eye width (1.3mm). Length of eye 1.38mm.
Pronotum 2.1 times wider than length (W/L=6.31/2.98), with transverse fasciae
at the basal end and a fine mid longitudinal carination. Scutellum a little
broader than long, hemelytra with distinct membrane, provided with prominent
longitudinal veins. Fore femur longer than width (length 7.37mm, width 2.95mm);
fore tibia (5.25mm) little longer than mid tibia (4.92mm), with sharp claws.
Mid and hind legs provided with thick sets of swimming hairs on the ventral
side.
Genitalia:
Male genital segment elongated, with two strap-like respiratory appendages,
male paramere as in Image 7i,j. Female genital segment broad with two
protuberances at the end.
Global
distribution: Myanmar,
India, Java, Malay Peninsula, Pakistan, Philippinesss, and Sumatra.
Distribution
in India: Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh,
Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala,
Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Odisha, Pondicherry,
Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Fresh water
ecosystems like rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes.
Remarks:
They are
predaceous in nature, known to predate on fish fingerlings, snails, and even
frogs. This species is edible and used as a food in northeastern India,
Thailand, and Vietnam. They often give painful bites with their sharp rostrum.
Family Corixidae Leach, 1815
The
size ranges from 1.8–16mm, single-segmented fore tarsus called ‘pala’ which is
flattened, scoop-shaped. The scutellum is exposed or concealed and the male
abdominal segments are asymmetrical. The corixid labium is broadly fused with
the head and possesses distinct transverse grooves.
Genus Sigara Fabricius, 1775
Diagnosis:
Small to
moderate, cylindrical body. Dorsally, dark black to brown. The length of adults
vary from 4.5–6.2 mm. The head relatively large, its base cover the anterior
margin of pronotum, the face covered by small few scattered hairs. Postnodal
pruinose area longer than the one of the claval suture, a medial pronounced
notch on posterior margin of the pronotal disc. The anterior tarsus
spatula-like, triangular, and known as pala in males, wider basally, provided with
rows of pegs. Male genital capsule large, assymetrical. Parameres small,
asymmetrical.
Sigara (Vermicorixa) kempi (Hutchinson, 1940): Image 8. a–f
1940. Corixa
(Vermicorixa) kempi Hutchinson, Transactions of the Connecticut Academy
of Arts and Sciences, 33: 432.
1988. Corixa
kempi Hutchinson: Bisht, Recent Advances in Fish Ecology, Limnology and
Eco-Conservation, 124.
Material
examined: Regn.no.
3164/H15, 1female, 1nymph, 12.iii.2012, from wetland beside Gajaldoba Teesta
Barrage, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet
preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Male
body length 6.5mm, female body length ranges from 6.7–6.8 mm.
Description:
Head yellow. Head round infront, hardly produced in front eyes. Vertex with a
low obscure longitudinal carina posteriorly. Pronotum dark blackish brown, with
ten transverse yellow lines, first two and last two stripes straight and
unbroken. Pronotal disc with central carina forming a small tubercle
anteriorly, posteriorly obtusely rounded. Lateral lobes of prothorax with
concave margin dorsally and ventrally. Clavus with three straight and unbroken
basal yellow lines. Corium with transverse yellow lines. Hind femur reaching
beyond the centre of the mid line, outer margin with three spines. Fore femur
in male with feeble developed stridulatory combs. Sixth abdominal segment of
male with a small, subquadrate strigil.
Genitalia:
Male right paramere arcuate and constricted centrally, left paramere narrowed
apically and slightly curved. Female genital segment symmetrical.
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: Arunachal
Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
High
altitudinal lakes, rivers and pools.
Remarks:
This species
is widely distributed across the Himalayan foothills and can be identified by
its dark colour pattern, mainly that of the ectocorium, which is dark pitchy
brown.
Sigara (Tropocorixa) promontoria
(Distant, 1910): Image 9. a–e
1910a. Corixa
promontoria Distant, Fauna of British India, 5: 341.
1940. Corixa
(Tropocorixa) promontoria Distant: Hutchison, Transactions of the
Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, 33: 437.
Material
examined: Regn.no.
3691/H15, 1female, 19.iii.2013, Buri Torsha Riverside, South Khairabari Reserve
Forest, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1female,
17.iii.2013, Kalikhola, between Gorumara and Chapramari Forests, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological
Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Adults
may attain a length of 6.13–6.18mm.
Description:
Head length 0.452mm, width 0.71mm. Vertex with rows of obscure punctures
throughout the posterior half, head roundly produced infront of eyes. Pronotum
black with six yellowish transverse lines. Length of pronotum 0.99mm, width
1.72mm. Eye length 0.91mm and width 0.36mm. Pala of male simple with a curved
row of 34 pegs, of which distal 10 pegs slightly more elongated than others.
Clavus black with yellow transverse vermiculations which are broken, irregular,
and narrower than the spaces. Corium black with fragmented yellow
vermiculations. Mid femur with a few long swimming hairs. Fore femur with two
pairs of small spines located distally. Strigil moderately large, oblong,
consists of seven combs. In males, seventh segment with a well-developed median
lobe, its apex conexivum gently concave and bearing a small projecting lobe.
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: Bihar,
Delhi, Karnataka, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Stagnant
ponds, river beds, pools, and lakes.
Remarks:
This species
is widely distributed in Peninsular India. They can be easily identified by the
hemielytral marking pattern.
Family Helotrephidae Esaki & China,
1927
Body
globular with head and pronotum fused. Antenna with one or two segments, a long
scutellum and the male genital segments twisted to the left. The tarsi have
spiniform like arolia, and a tubular membranous empodium.
Genus Tiphotrephes Esaki &
China, 1928
Diagnosis:
Body small.
Lateral cephalonotal carina not incising on to eye surface. Ventral abdominal
carina reaching upto sternum. Male pygophore with distinct sub-symmetrical
spur-like process. Left paramere ‘S’ shaped, typical for this genus. Right
paramere with distal half bar shaped. Female abdominal sternum VII symmetrical.
Tiphotrephes indicus (Distant, 1910): Image 10. a–g
1910a. Helotrephes
indicus Distant, Fauna of British India, 5: 338.
Material
examined: Regn.no.
3505/H15, 2females, 8.iii.2011, from Sikhiajhora, Alipurduar District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India,
Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length up to 1.5mm.
Description:
Small, oval species. Body highly emerginated anteriorly than posteriorly.
Dorsally distinctly punctuate and strongly deflected with a prominent concavity
at the anterior margin of head. Pronotum less coarsely punctuate. Clavus absent
in elytra. Scutellum brownish with basal margin pale, coarsely punctuate.
Corium dull yellowish. Venter dark with yellowish margin laterally.
Global
distribution: India,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand.
Distribution
in India: Maharashtra,
Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Water tanks
and ponds.
Remarks:
This species
can be easily identified with the coarse punctures on its dorsal side of body
and is commonly found in West Bengal.
Family Micronectidae Jaczewski, 1924
Small
to very small bugs, similar to corixidae. Size ranges from 1–4 mm. Scutellum
exposed, covered by pronotum only at anterior margin. Antennae three segmented.
Claws of hind tarsae reaching the end of second abdominal sternite.
Genus Micronecta Kirkaldy, 1897
Diagnosis:
Small
species, length 4mm or less. Head without impression dorsally between eyes.
Antenna three-segmented. Scutellum exposed. Claw of pala modified in male and
able to fold in the pala without pegs. Female fore tibia and pala fused, but in
males fore tibiae and pala separated. Mid tibiae shorter than tarsus. Males are
usually with strigil in sixth tergite. Male right paramere basally usually with
a field of ridges which helps in stridulation.
Micronecta ludibunda Breddin, 1905: Image 11. a–h and Image 12.i–l
1934. Micronecta
inconspicua Lundblad, Archiv für Hydrobiologie - Supplement, 12: 65
1934. Micronecta
striatella Lundblad, Archiv für Hydrobiologie - Supplement, 12: 98
1934. Micronecta
ludibunda Breddin: Lundblad, Archiv für Hydrobiologie - Supplement, 12: 95
Material
examined: Regn.no.4768/H15,
1 male, 3 females, 17.iii.2012, wetland within Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary,
Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation,
Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: In
macropterous male, body length ranges from 1.9–2.2 mm and in macropterous
females from 2.14–2.19 mm.
Description:
A medium-sized dark brown coloured species with distinct stripes on the
hemelytra. Length of head 0.13mm and interocular width 0.37mm. Eye 3.5 times
longer than broad (L/W=0.32/0.09). Head blunt at apex, light brown anteriorly.
Pronotum with a pair of open, somewhat roundish patches. Length of pronotum
0.301mm, width 0.831mm. Lateral margins of hemelytra with five brown patches of
which the basal two patches are often connected. Length of scutellum 0.29mm and
width 0.45mm. Wings 2.04mm in length with distinct dark continuous stripes.
Pala of male with distinct modifications as in Image 12i.
Genitalia:
Male genital segments asymmetrical, 0.56mm in length and 0.57mm in width, hairy
allthrough. Males are with strigil on sixth abdominal tergites. Male parameres
as in Image 12k & l. Female genital segment is symmetrical, broad (Image
1g).
Global
distribution: India,
Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands (Wroblewski
1968), Malaysia, and Singapore.
Distribution
in India: Assam and
West Bengal.
Habitat:
Freshwater
ecosystems like ponds, lakes and forested pools.
Remarks:
This species
is a new record from West Bengal. A very widespread species found throughout
the world. The hemelytral pattern is sufficient to separate this species from
others.
Micronecta desertana desertana Distant, 1920: Image 13.a–i
1920. Micronecta
desertana Distant, Records of the Indian Museum, 18: 206.
1940. M.
(Dichaetonecta) desertana dravida Hutchinson, Transactions of the
Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, 33: 392.
1940. M.
(D.) desertana concanensis Hutchinson, Transactions of the Connecticut
Academy of Arts and Sciences, 33: 390.
Material
examined: Regn.No.
3692/H15, 2males, 7females, 17.iii.2013, Kalikhola, border between Gorumara and
Chapramari Forests, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in
wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of male ranges from 2.54–2.8 mm. In female, body length ranges from
2.7–2.93 mm. Maximum body width of male is 1.34mm and that of female is 1.31mm.
Description:
Head pale yellow, with an obscure central elongate orange spot on the anterior part
of vertex. A pair of orange clouded spots nears the eyes. Pronotum
grayish-brown with its margin yellowish. Base of clavus grayish, corium light
brown with three very obscure fragmented dark brown longitudinal stripes
continued upto the right membrane. Legs pale yellow with apex of tarsus
slightly darkened Venter pale yellow. Head 2.4 times as long as wide
(L/W=0.95/0.4). Interocular width 3.4 times wider than eye width
(IW/EW=0.41/0.12). Eye length 0.32mm. Length of pronotum 0.33mm and width
0.90mm. Pronotum 2.3 times wider than head. Scutellum as long as wide (0.28mm).
Pronotal disc is very finely granulose, anterior margin evenly convex,
posterior margin convex but, rather flat centrally. Male fore femur with a
single long basal hair on its inner margin, a row of four spines just within
the inner margin. Mid femora longer than mid tibiae. Abdominal segments (4th to
8th) 1.04mm in length and 1.16mm in width.
Genitalia:
Seventh segment wide and simply lobed on right side. Free lobe of eighth
tergite well-developed, rectangular. Right paramere arcuate and rather wide,
with a slightly button-like apex (Image 13i). Left paramere wide basally,
narrows towards the apex (Image 13h).
Global
distribution: India,
Iran, United Arab Emirates, and Oriental Region.
Distribution
in India: Assam,
Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu.
Habitat:
Pools and
streams.
Remarks:
This species
is a new report to West Bengal. It can be distinguished from the other species
by the shape of the male paramere and by the pala.
Micronecta scutellaris scutellaris (Stal, 1858): Image 14.a–g
1858. Sigara
scutellaris Stal, Öfversigt af Svenska Vetenskaps-Akad: s förhandlingar,
15: 319.
1908. Micronecta
malabarica Kirkaldy, Canadian Entomologist, 40: 209.
1910a. Micronecta
dione Distant, Fauna of British India, 5: 348.
1959. Micronecta
proba Distant: Baid, Journal of Bombay Natural History Society, 56:
362.
Material
examined: Regn. No.
3168/H15, 3males, 8females, 4.x.2013, jhora beside Kiranchandra Tea Garden,
Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 9males, 1nymph,
17.ix.2011, pond near Baradighi, Malbazar, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal,
coll. S. Basu; 1male, 3females, 19.iv.2013, Raidhak River, Alipurduar,
Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 3males, 7females,
12.iii.2011, wetland beside Gajaldoba Teesta Barrage, Jalpaiguri District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India,
Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Males
attain a length of 3.6–4.0mm and females reach upto 4.2–4.4mm.
Description:
Large, elongate and grayish brown in colour. Head more or less projected
forward, bluntly acuminated. Hemelytra with dark longitudinal stripes which may
vary from distinct unbroken stripes to broken stripes. Four brown patches
present on the lateral margins of hemelytra, which may also vary among
individuals.
Genitalia:
Male genitalia asymmetrical. Male left and right paramere as in Image 14f
& g. Right paramere little longer than the left and acutely curved.
Global
distribution: Africa,
Arabia, India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, China, Malaysia, Johor, Melaka, and
Singapore.
Distribution
in India: Andhra
Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka,
Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil
Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Ponds,
pools, water tanks, and agricultural fields.
Remarks:
This is the
largest species of Micronecta and is very widespread in India and other
countries.
Micronecta haliploides Horvath, 1904: Image 15. a–k
1905. Micronecta
inflatula Breddin, Societas Entomologica, 20: 57.
1905. Micronecta
pardalina Breddin, Societas Entomologica, 20: 57.
1910a. Micronecta
merope Distant, Fauna of British India, 5: 351.
1960. Micronecta
punctata Fieber: Chen, Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society,
33: 117.
1983. Micronecta
merope Distant, Bisht and Das, Proceedings of
Workshop on High Altitude Entomology and Wildlife
Ecology. Zoological Survey of India, 2.
Material
examined: Regn.no.4614/H15,
3males, 4females, 16.ix.2011, Ghoshpukur Dighi, Kamala Bagan, Darjeeling
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1male, 18.iii.2013, Mujnai River,
Madarihat, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet
preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Male
body length 2.31–2.9 mm, maximum body width 0.92mm. Female body length 2.83–3.3
mm, maximum width 0.99mm.
Description:
A large, elongated oval species. Pale in color with well-marked small black
spots on yellowish hemelytra. Head length 0.35mm and width0.53mm. Interocular
width 1.9 times as wide as eye width (IW/EW=0.43/0.23). Eye length 1.5 times
longer than width (L/W=0.35/0.23). Pronotum 1.5 times as wide as head width.
Width of pronotum 0.79mm. Lateral pronotal margins obsolete.Yellowish hemelytra
marked with distinct dark dots. Pronotum transverse and narrow, lateral margins
very short. Lateral margins of elytra moderately convexly rounded. Abdominal
segments are dark brown or black. Strigil present in male. Two bristles present
on sixth sternite.
Genitalia:
Males are with a row of hairs on the right part of eighth segment. This row is
absent in the left part of eighth segment bearing the free lobe. Male right and
left paramere as in Image 15j & k respectively.
Global
distribution: India,
Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Singapore, Thailand, Johor,
Melaka, Sembilan, and Penang.
Distribution
in India: Arunachal
Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha,
Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Ponds,
stagnant pools, and water tanks.
Remarks:
A widespread
species. This species is attracted to light and can be caught in light trap.
Micronecta khasiensis Hutchinson, 1940: Image 16. a–h
1940. Micronecta (Mesonecta) khasiensis
Hutchinson, Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences,
33: 396.
Material
examined: Regn. no.
4636/H15, 1female, 6.iii.2011, Jayanti River, Alipurduar District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size:
Macropterous males attain a length of 2.5–2.70mm and the female body ranges
2.4–2.82 mm long. Maximum body width 1.43mm.
Description:
Dark yellowish orange to brown. Head dull yellow, with dull orange stripe on
frons and of two obscure orange spots near the inner margins of the eyes,
short, anterior margin very evenly rounded. Length of head 0.23mm and width
infront of eyes 0.51mm. Eye length 0.34mm and width 0.11mm. Interocular width
0.43mm. Pronotum dark brown, slightly wider than head, lateral margins narrowly
dark brown anteriorly. Scutellum brown, elytra with basal area of clavus
yellowish brown. Corium grayish brown. Legs brownish yellow. In macropterous
forms, elytra with sparse pale pubescence.
Genitalia:
Female genital segment (Image 16g & h) is symmetrical. Length of female
genital segment 0.54mm and width 0.50mm.
Global
distribution: India
and Vietnam.
Distribution
in India: Assam,
Meghalaya, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Stagnant
pools between rocks.
Remarks:
It is a
smaller species. According to Hutchinson (1940), they have some peculiar
feeding habits as compared to other species.
Micronecta quadristrigata Breddin, 1905: Image 17.a–k
1959. Micronecta
minthe Distant: Tonapi, Proceedings of the National Institute of
Sciences, India, 25: 326.
Material
examined: Regn no.
3166/H15, 2 males, 3 females, 12.iii.2011, wetland beside Gajaldoba Teesta
Barrage, Jalapiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet
preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of male ranges from 2.6–2.91 mm, maximum width of body of male 1.21mm;
female attains a length of 2.8–3.3 mm, maximum width of body of female 1.12mm.
Description:
Light brown elongated species. Head length 0.27mm and width 0.67mm. Interocular
width 0.38mm. Head pale yellow with one light reddish longitudinal line on
vertex. Eye length 0.41mm and width 0.14mm. Pronotum brownish, length 0.95mm
and width 0.36mm. Hemielytra with broken longitudinal stripes that is rarely
absent. Lateral margins of hemielytra with four dark patches of which basal
patch is the largest and elongated. Males with strigil on the left and the free
lobe of eighth tergite on the right side. Length of wings 2.28mm. Male pala is
distinct as in Image 16e.
Genitalia:
Male genital segment is asymmetrical. The free lobe of eighth tergite sigmoid
in shape at left part (Image 16j). Male
right and left paramere as in Image l & k.
Global
distribution: India,
Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Philippinesss,
Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Distribution
in India: Andhra
Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Karnataka,
Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamilnadu, and
West Bengal.
Habitat:
Stagnant
pools and ponds, irrigation canals in agricultural fields.
Remarks:
A widespread
species. Very common and found abundantly in light trap.
Family Naucoridae Leach, 1815
Oval,
flattened bugs with raptorial forelegs. The size varies from 2–15mm, and the
colour from brownish to blackish, often marked with yellow or green. The
members of this family are easily identifiable by three-segmented simple
concealed antenna, absence of ocelli, three-segmented rostrum and with a
distinct claw at hind tarsi. The respiratory tube is absent.
Genus Heleocoris Stal, 1876
Diagnosis:
Body oval,
elongated. Eyes with an external process between outer margin and the anterior
angle of the pronotum. Eyes subparallel and anteriorly convergent. Disk of the
pronotum regularly and uniformly convex, connexivum posteriorly visible, the
corium a little obliquely narrowed from above middle to apex, membrane small.
Fore tarsus with two claws. Males have two segments whereas females have only one.
Male phallotheca is asymmetrical. Male paramere is greatly reduced. The female
subgenital plate is roughly trapezoidal.
Heleocoris bengalensis bengalensis Montandon, 1910: Image 18. a–j
1910. Heleocoris
bengalensis Montandon, Bulletin de la Société des sciences
de Bucarest, 19: 653.
Material
examined: Regn.no.
4752/H15, 2males, 4females, 17.iii.2012, Dhupjhora, Gachbari, Murti River,
Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 11males, 13females,
6nymphs, 17.iii.2012, Dhupjhora, Murti River, within Gorumara National Park,
Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1female, 1nymph,
17.iii.2012, Murti River, Medla Camp, Gorumara National Park, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological
Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Male
body length 9.5–9.6 mm, maximum body width 6.11mm. Female body length 9.8–9.92
mm, maximum body width 6.4mm.
Description:
Body ovate, elongated, narrower than wide. Venter dark brown. Head and pronotum
dull yellowish brown spotted and maculated with dark brown or black markings.
Head length not twice as broad at base between eyes. Head length 0.97mm. Length
of rostrum 1.53mm. Interocular width 1.67mm. Length of eye 1.25mm and width
0.66mm. Scutellum uniformly dark brown, with tip light brown. Length of
scutellum 1.98mm and width 2.91mm.Hemelytra dark brown, rugulose, except
anterolateral half of embolium translucent yellow, wing membrane black, poorly
defined and venation obscure. Pronotum wider than long. Metaxyphus typical for
the species as in Image 18e & f.
Abdominal laterotergites pale yellow. Abdomen 4.41mm in length and
5.45mm in width across fourth abdominal segment. Fore femora of male longer
than wide, length 2.2mm and width 1.05mm. Mid tibia of male with numerous
spines arranged on outer margin.
Genitalia:
Male genital segment 1.23mm in length and 2.22mm in width, asymmetrical,
covered with golden long hairs uniformly. Male pygophore broad, ovate in
appearance (Image 18j). Female sub-genital plate wider than long, bipartite at
base.
Global
distribution: India,
Southeast Asia, Great Sunda Islands, Sumatra, Java, and Sri Lanka.
Distribution in India: Madhya Pradesh,
Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Small
streams and riffles.
Remarks:
Heleocoris
bengalensis was
described by Montandon (1910) and the type locality is Manbhum district of West
Bengal. The status of species concepts in the H. bengalensis is
complex and is an issue that requires further detailed study.
Family Nepidae Latreille, 1802
Body
dorso-ventrally flattened or cylindrical (size ranges from 15–55mm) with long
and slender legs, the anterior pair being raptorial. These bugs are
characterised by single-segmented tarsi and by the absence of ocelli. The long
slender, non-retractile respiratory siphon is derived from the 8th
abdominal tergum and has two spiracles at its base.
Subfamily Nepinae Latreille, 1802
Genus Laccotrephes Stal
Diagnosis:
Body long,
dorsoventrally flattened and broad. Generally, brown or grey in colour. Head
distinctly narrower than pronotum and partly enclosed in the anterolateral
pronotal angles. Compound eyes prominently spherical, black, with rounded
margin, eye width less than interocular width. Antennae three segmented, outer margin
with numerous setae. Respiratory siphon long, vary in species, may or may not
be longer than the body length. Fore leg raptorial with broad femora and sharp
claws. Scutellum well-developed and wider than long. Fore wings with distinct
clavus, corium and membrane, the membrane with distinct venation. Prosternum
with a distinct keel.
Laccotrephes griseus (Guerin-Meneville, 1844): Image 19. a–f
1844. Nepa
griseus Guerin-Meneville, Iconoographie due Regne Animal de G. Cuvier, 352.
Material
examined: Regn.no.3167/H15,
2males, 2females, 17.iv.2013, Dima River, Damanpur Forest, Alipurduar District,
West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2males, 9.iii.2011, Murti River, Chalsa,
Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1female, 9.iii.2011,
Murti River, infront of Murti Banani Bungalow, Jalpaiguri District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 6males, 6females, 19.iv.2013, Poro River, Poro
Beat, Chilapata Forest Range, Alipurduar District, West Bengal, India, coll. S.
Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Male
body length generally ranges between 16.7–19.2mm. Female may attain a size of
18.3–20mm. Respiratory siphon always shorter than body, length 12.9–14.5 mm.
Description:
Smaller in size relative to other species. Head triangular, tapering
anteriorly, 1.6 times as long as wide (L/W=1.8/1.1). Eyes oval, small, length
0.63mm. Interocular width 1.95 times wider than eye width (IW/EW=0.94/0.48).
Rostrum 1.36 times in length, stout, thick. Clypeus well-differentiated.
Antennae hidden, three-segmented, with stout hairs. Pronotum distinct, almost
rectangular. Length of pronotum 2.49mm and width 4.33mm. A transverse suture
just above the posterior margin. Scutellum triangular, tapering posteriorly.
Prosternum strongly acute along median line. Abdomen flattened, 2.2 times
longer than wide (L/W=12.7/5.7). Base of sixth abdominal sternites with small
tuft of hairs covering the sub-genital plate proximally. Hemelytra parallel,
thick, membrane thin with numerous reticulate veins. Abdomen beneath wings
bluish in colour. Fore femora 3.66mm in length and 1.21mm in width in male,
with obtusely rounded tooth at base.
Genitalia:
Male genital capsule anteriorly shallow, posteriorly broad. Parameres (Image
19f) symmetrical, slightly hooked and articulated in anterior region. Female
genitalia triangular and armatured, two pairs of plate like structures forming
slender ovipositor.
Global
distribution: Malaysia,
Myanmar, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Thailand.
Distribution
in India: Andhra
Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya,
Nagaland, Odisha, Pondicherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, West
Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh.
Habitat:
Ponds,
lakes, stagnant pools, streams, and rivers.
Remarks:
This species
is cosmopolitan in distribution. It is a very sluggish species often found
under weeds or at the bottom of slow or stagnant water or edges of water
bodies. This species possesses sexual dimorphism.
Subfamily Ranatrinae Douglas & Scott,
1865
Genus Cercotmetus Amyot &
Serville, 1843
Diagnosis:
Body
elongated, sub-cylindrical with a posterior respiratory siphon, which is
usually shorter than the body length. Eyes large, outer margins reflexed
downwards. Head with a prominent clypeus. Vertex raised above the eyes. Antenna
three segmented, lie in ventral depressions beneath the eyes. Prothorax
dorsally divided into two lobes by a transverse groove. Anterior lobe much
longer than the posterior lobe. Humeral width always greater than anterior
width. Scutellum small, triangular. Clavus and corium coriaceous. Membrane with
many small veins. Abdominal tergites flat. Metasternum posteriorly emerginated.
First abdominal sternite not visible, third to sixth sternite longitudinally
carinate, seventh sternite with operculum. Fore femora irregularly annulated
with light and dark brown colour, with one tooth about mid-way ventrally. Mid
femora shorter than hind femora. All tarsi one-segmented.
Cercotmetus pilipes (Dallas, 1850): Image 20. a–i and Image
21. j–p
1850. Ranatra
(Cercotmetus) pilipes Dallas, Transactions of the Royal Entomological
Society of London, 1: 9.
Material
examined: Regn.no.
2950/H15, 2males, 17.ix.2011, pond near Baradighi, Malbazar, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological
Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length ranging from 40–41mm. Respiratory siphon 10–11 mm in length.
Description:
Luteous in colour. Respiratory siphon around four times shorter than the body.
Body covered with small hairs. Eyes large, prominent, globular. Head with a
prominent tubercle on the vertex. Head length 1.95mm and width 1.26mm. Eyes 1.1
times wider than long (W/L=0.96/0.85). Rostrum 2.43mm in length. Antenna 0.63mm
in length. Thorax 8.91mm in length and 1.72mm in width. Forewing not reaching
the abdominal apex. Abdomen 21.7mm in length and 2.89mm in width. Fore femora
(Image 20h) shorter than the pronotum. Mid, hind tibiae and tarsae with spines
and long yellow hairs arranged in double rows.
Genitalia:
Male genital segment 3mm in length and 1.6mm in width. Male parameres (Image
21o & p) symmetrical, stout, bulged medially, narrowed apically and
bifurcated.
Global
distribution: India
and Bhutan.
Distribution
in India: Delhi,
Karnataka, and Kerala.
Habitat:
Fish ponds
and lakes.
Remarks:
The Cercotmetus
Amyot & Serville is almost similar to Ranatra Fabricius, but can be
distinguished by the presence of short and stout respiratory appendages. They
are predatory in nature and feed on freshwater shrimps.
Genus Ranatra Fabricius, 1790
Diagnosis:
Body
elongated, sub-cylindrical, with a pair of posterior respiratory siphons. Head
either with a prominent tubercle between eyes or only slightly rose between
eyes. Eyes large and globular. Antennae concealed beneath head, not visible
from above, three-segmented, second and third segment with numerous spines. Prothorax
distally divided into two lobes by a transverse groove. Anterior lobe always
longer than the posterior lobe, the posterior margin of posterior lobe always
deeply emerginate. Ventrally, prosternum with a median longitudinal keel.
Metasternum with a distinct modification or keel. Wing membrane small with many
irregular veins. Abdominal tergites elongated, flat. First abdominal sternite
not visible, 3rd to 6th sternites longitudinally
carinate. 7th sternum with an operculum or sub-genital plate. Fore
femora with either one or two ventral projections about midway. All tarsi one
segmented. Male genitalia enclosed in a long sclerotised capsule.
Ranatra varipes varipes Stal: Image 22. a–j
Materials
examined: Regn.no.4639/H15,
1 male, 16.ix.2011, Ghoshpukur Dighi, Kamala Baga, Darjeeling District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 16.iii.2013, Murti River, infront of
Murti Banani Bungalow, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S Basu; 1
male, 2 females, 1nymph, 3.x.2013, pond at Mainaguri, Jalpaiguri District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 1 female, 19.iii.2012, Teesta Canal near
Odlabari, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation,
Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length ranges between 19–22mm. Respiratory siphon always shorter than the body,
length of respiratory siphon 14–16 mm.
Description:
Head length 0.48mm, 1.3 times longer than interocular width (0.35mm). Eye
length 0.30mm and width 0.34mm. Vertex rounded between eyes. Pronotum 3.1 times
longer than the width (length/width: 1.4/ 0.45). Posterior lobe of pronotum
sparsely punctuate, smaller than the darker anterior lobe of pronotum. Antennal
segments with many stout spines, distributed mainly in second and third antennal
segments. Respective length of antennal segments 1–3: 0.06mm, 0.02mm, 0.14mm.
Metasternum with a prominent median keel (Image 22g), almost flat. Wing length
5.46mm, almost covering the abdomen. Mesosternum rounded and with a V-shaped
cleft between mesocoxa. Fore femora (Image 22e) 2.84mm in length and 0.20mm in
width. Hind femora in both sexes reaching beyond posterior margin of sternite
VI.
Genitalia:
Male genital segment 0.85mm in length and 0.56mm in width, with scattered
prominent black punctures. Male parameres hatchet shaped distally as in Image
22i & j, operculum slightly shorter than conexivum with its sixth sternite
distally expanded.
Global
distribution: India,
Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Distribution
in India: Bihar,
Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, Uttar
Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Fish ponds,
lakes, and small streams with aquatic vegetation.
Remarks:
This species
is cosmopolitan in distribution. Ranatra varipes varipes Stal mostly
found among aquatic vegetation fringing the shallower parts of water bodies.
These bugs are predatory in nature. R. varipes varipes Stal is closely
related to R. varipes atropha Montandon. It can be distinguished mainly by
the male paramere structure and shape of metasternal keel and antennal
setation.
Ranatra varipes atropha Montandon, 1903: Image 23. a–h
1903. Ranatra
atropha Montandon, Bulletin de la Société des sciences de Bucarest,
Roumanie, 12: 105.
1972. R.
varipes var. atropha Mayr: Lansbury, Transactions of the Royal
Entomological Society of London, 124: 317.
Materials
examined: Regn.no.3177/H15,
2females, 16.ix.2011, Bhimbar dighi besides Sayedabad Tea Estate, Darjeeling
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological
Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Adults
may attain a length of about 18.5–23 mm. Respiratory siphon always shorter than
body, length ranging between 14–18 mm.
Description:
Brownish in colour. Eyes globular, red. Head length 1.45mm and width 0.83mm.
Eyes 0.61mm in length and 0.68mm in width. Rostrum 1.82mm in length. Total
length of antennal segment 0.49mm, second and third segment of antenna with a
few scarcely distributed stout spines. Anterior lobe of pronotum about twice as
long as posterior lobe, which is slightly curved dorsoventrally. Prosternum
with a prominent keel ventrally. Mesosternum with a conspicuous median keel.
Metasternum with a keel as in Image 23g.
Fore femora (Image 23e) broad with a distinct tooth. Hind femora in both
sexes reaching upto the posterior margin of sixth sternite.
Genital
segment: Sixth
sternite of female expanded distally distinctly. Operculum almost as long as
connexivum. Female ovipositor 1.8mm in length.
Global
distribution: Java,
Myanmar, and Thailand.
Distribution
in India: West Bengal,
Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Pondicherry, and Tamil Nadu.
Habitat:
Fish ponds,
lakes with floating vegetation at edges.
Remarks:
Montandon
(1903) described this species without mentioning the type locality. Lansbury
(1972) in his ‘Review of the Oriental Species of Ranatra Fabricius’
mentioned the type localities of examined materials in Madras and Pondicherry
of South India and Titilagarh of Bihar, Eastern India. This species is also
predaceous in nature.
Ranatra digitata Hafiz and Pradhan, 1947: Image 24. a–h
Material
examined: Regn.no.4764/H15,
1female, 17.iii.2012, Murti River, Medla camp, Gorumara National Park,
Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1male, 2females,
17.iii.2012, pond near Rhino camp, Gorumara National Park, Jalpaiguri District,
West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of
India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Male
attains a length of 28–31mm, length of respiratory siphon 26.5–29.2 mm. Body
length of female ranges from 28.5–33mm and length of respiratory siphon
27–29mm.
Description:
Head length 1.30mm, vertex evenly rounded between eyes. Eyes globular, much
greater than the interocular region, length of eye 0.98mm and width 1.11mm.
Antennae with several stout spines. Anterior lobe much darker and slightly less
than twice as long as posterior lobe, length of anterior lobe of pronotum
3.55mm and anterior width 1.68mm. Humeral width 2.43mm. Prothorax anteriorly tricarinate,
central keel sharply carinated. Mesosternum rounded and shining, anterior
margin emerginated, mesosternum with a ‘V’ shaped cleft between mid coxae.
Metasternum flat, basally triangular, lateral margins concave as in Image 24f. Length of scutellum 2.47mm, width 1.13mm.
Length of abdomen 2.63mm and width 2.43mm. Fore femora as in Image 24g. Mid
femur and tibiae slightly shorter than hind femora and tibiae. Hind femora in
both sexes reaching about half way along operculum.
Genitalia:
Male genital capsule not distally invaginated, flagellum very long. Female
genital segment 2.63mm in length and 1.41mm in width. Ovipositor projecting
outward of the genital segment.
Global
distribution: Myanmar
and India.
Distribution
in India: Bihar,
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Water tanks,
ponds, rock pools, and ditches.
Remarks:
This species
is widespread in stagnant ecosystems of West Bengal and is prevalent in ponds,
where pisciculture practice is going on. This species is closely related to R.
flagellata Lansbury.
Ranatra filiformis Fabricius, 1790: Image 25. a–h
Material
examined: Regn.no.4756/H15,
1male, 2females, 8.xi.2013, Murti River, infront of Murti Banani Bungalow,
Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1male, 2females,
3.x.2013, pond at Binnaguri, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, coll. S. Basu;
1female, 17.iii.2012, pond near Rhino Camp, Gorumara National Park, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of
India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Male
body length 22–25.5 mm, respiratory siphon length 21.5–23 mm. Female body
length 20.6–28mm, length of respiratory siphon 13–23mm.
Description:
Head length 1.35mm and width infront of eyes 0.89mm, vertex slightly raised
between eyes, occasionally developed into a vestigial tubercle. Length of eye
0.65mm and width 0.61mm. Rostrum 0.87mm in length. Interocular width 0.76mm.
Second and third segments of antennae mostly black with long, stout spines.
Length of anterior lobe of pronotum 3.66mm and width 1.18mm. Length of
posterior lobe of pronotum 1.25mm and width 1.77mm. Anterior lobe slightly
darker than posterior lobe with an obtuse carina extending to transverse
groove, posterior lobe punctuate along hind margins. Prothorax ventrally with a
prominent keel. Mesosternum rounded and shining. Length of scutellum 1.6mm and
width 1.1mm. Metasternal process as in Image 25d, broadest basally with slightly
rose at centre. Mid and hind coxae equidistant from each other. Fore femora
7.53mm in length, with a prominent tooth. Femora and tibiae of mid and hind
legs sometimes annulated with light and dark brown rings. Length of abdomen
13.9mm and width 1.85mm.
Genitalia:
Length of male genital segment 2.21mm and width 1.33mm. Male operculum broad,
sharply carinate. Parameres (Image 25h) distally hooked with several stout
spines on inner margins. Female operculum long and narrow, reaching ends of
connexivum.
Global
distribution: India,
Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippinesss, and Sri Lanka.
Distribution
in India: Andhra
Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Himachal
Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya,
Odisha, Pondicherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and
West Bengal.
Habitat:
Ponds,
slow-flowing streams, ditches, and puddles.
Remarks:
This is one
of the smaller species. This is widespread in India and commonly found species.
Family Notonectidae Latreille, 1802
They
are truly aquatic forms which differ from all other aquatic bugs (except
Pleidae and Helotrephidae) in the habit of swimming on their backs. The
notonectids are small, medium-sized (15–20mm), oblong bugs, characterised by
four segmented antennae, three to four segmented rostrum, absence of ocelli,
non-raptorial legs, and flattened hind legs devoid of claws.
Genus Anisops Spinola, 1840
Diagnosis:
Body usually
small, slender, but some species are large and attain a length of about 12 mm.
Eyes large, may or may not be holoptic. The interocular region with a median
longitudinal depression anteriorly. Anterior end of hemelytral commissure with
a definite hair-lined pit. The hemelytra not coriaceous. Ventrally, body
longitudinally convex with deeper thoracic region. Abdominal sternites with a
median longitudinal keel marked laterally with long hairs. The inner margin of
connexivum with long hairs. Mid and hind tarsae two-segmented, except the fore
tarsae one-segmented. Stridulatory apparatus, i.e., tibial comb present in
males. Male genital segment modified. Parameres are asymmetrical, the right one
being large and the left one hook-shaped at apex and small.
Anisops paranigrolineatus Brooks, 1951: Image 26. a–g
1951. Anisops
paranigrolineata Brooks. Kansas University science bulletin, 34:
407.
Material
examined: Regn.no.
4616/H15, 1 female, 6.iii.2011, Jayanti Forest Bungalow, Alipurduar District,
West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 female, 6.iii.2011, Jayanti River,
Alipurduar District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation,
Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Adult
males attain a size of 5.9–6.0 mm, maximum body width 1.4mm. Body length of
females range from 6.2–6.4 mm, maximum body width 1.6–1.8 mm.
Description:
Fusiform, brown coloured species. Generally head pale yellowish brown. Eyes
dark brown, legs pale yellow and venter black with prominent keel and segmental
margins of the connexivum stramineous. Length of head 0.48mm and width (infront
of eyes) 0.33mm. Eye width 0.58mm, 2.0 times wider than the interocular width
(0.28mm), but a little wider than the anterior width of pronotum (0.52mm).
Dorsally, the outline of the head is rounded. Hemelytra hyaline and appearing black
as it overlies the black dorsal body surface. Scutellum length 0.687mm and
width 0.93mm. Pronotum wider than long, length of pronotum 1.19mm and width
1.6mm. Anterior margin of vertex not extended beyond eyes. Synthlipsis wide.
Posterior margin of pronotum convex, dorsally with a faint median ridge.
Ventrally, labrum greatly reduced in length. Rostrum 0.77mm in length, rostral
prong shorter than the third rostral segment. Fore femur greatly enlarged at
base with pointed apex in male. In female, fore femur broad with numerous setae
as in Image 26f.
Genitalia:
The male paramere is little excavate and the female ovipositor with numerous
denticles as in Imaeg 26g. The length of ovipositor 0.72mm.
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: Kerala, Maharashtra,
Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Freshwater
ecosystems such as rocky streams, rivers, ponds, etc.
Remarks:
The species
description is written based on the female as male specimens are not
collected.The male descriptions are based on the literature of Brooks (1951)
and Thirumalai (1994).
Anisops breddini Kirkaldy, 1901: Image 27. a–i
1964. Anisops
kempi Brooks: Lansbury, Annales Zoologici Warszawa, 22: 215.
Material
examined: Regn.no.4755/H15,
1female, 16.ix.2011, canal within Gava Ganga and Kamala Tea Garden, Darjeeling
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 4males, 7females, 10 nymphs,
17.ix.2011, pond near Baradighi, Malbazar, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S. Basu; 4males, 4females, 1 nymph, 17.iii.2012, wetland within
Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll.
S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of male 5.7–6.6 mm, maximum body width of male 1.2–1.6 mm. Body length
of female 5.4–6.8 mm, maximum body width of female 1.2–1.7 mm.
Description:
Body pale in colour dorsally with the elytra pale-greyish. Abdominal sternum
dark brown in colour with the keel reddish brown for the greater part and
brownish black at the terminal end. Eyes holoptic posteriorly, dorsally lateral
margins of eyes slightly convex giving the head an almost conical appearance;
head as wide as pronotum. Eye length 0.76mm and width 1.10mm. Lateral margins
of pronotum parallel. Hemelytra with reduced membranes. Rostral prong in males
slightly longer than the third rostral segment. Fore femora of male strongly
swollen. Fore tibia slightly more than one-and-half times as long as tarsus.
Stridulatory comb on fore tibia consists of a few irregular teeth in male. Fore
femora and tibia 0.87mm and 1.1mm in length, respectively. Mid tibia with a
long claw, as long as the third tarsal segment. Abdomen 2.3mm in length and
0.80mm in width.
Genital
segments: Male
genital segments modified and little elongated. Male paramere as in Imaeg 27h.
Female genital segments symmetrical and not modified.
Global
distribution: Sri
Lanka, Indochina, Java, Sulawesi, Kedah, Melaka, Johor, and Singapore (Fernando
& Leong 1976), and India.
Distribution
in India: Andhra
Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu,
Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Ponds,
pools, agricultural fields, and small streams with vegetation.
Remarks:
A widespread
species in India. Anisops kempi described by Brooks (1951) from India
and Thailand are considered as the macropterous form of Anisops breddini
and hence synonymised.
Anisops sardeus sardeus Herrich-Shaffer, 1850: Image 28. a–i
1850. Anisops
sardeus Herrich-Shaffer, Die wanzenartigen Insekten, 9: 41.
Material
examined: Regn.no.4604/H15,
1 male, 1 female, 23.ix.2012, pond near Domohoni, Jalpaiguri District, West
Bengal, India, coll. M. Chakrabarty, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of
India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Male
body length 7.5–8.4mm, maximum body width 1.8–1.9mm, female body length
7.3–7.5mm, maximum body width 1.9–2.1mm.
Description:
Dorsally stramineous in colour. Eyes brown. Hemelytra hyaline and appear darker
due to dark brown body surface. Abdominal venter dark brown or black with
keel.In male, the interocular space produced into a prominent cephalic horn
with acuminated apex anteriorly as viewed from the above, lateral margins of
head rounded. Synthlipsis narrow. Labrum short, apex acuminated, each basal
angle bearing a tuft of erected hairs whose tips are curved medianly and form a
loop with each other. Head is wider than pronotum. Pronotum with its humeral
width more or less twice the median length, posterior margin of pronotum
convex, emarginated medially. Rostral prong slightly shorter than the third
rostral segment. Stridulatory comb of approximately 18 teeth. Mid tarsal claws
strongly curved inward at base.
Genitalia:
Male genital segment with tuft of a pair of setae laterally on both sides.Male
left and right paramere as in Image 27h & i, respectively. Left paramere
broad and right paramere apically curved.
Global
distribution: India,
Turkey, Syria, Albania, Africa, Corfu, Canary Islands, Afghanistan, and
Myanmar.
Distribution
in India: Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan,
Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Ponds, water
tanks, and lakes.
Remarks:
This species
is a close relative of A. bouvieri Kirkaldy by the shape of the male
cephalic horn. It can be differentiated by the presence of marginal row of
prominent setae on the inner surface of fore tibia of male.
Anisops nasutus Fieber, 1851: Image 29. a–f
1851. Anisops
nasuta Fieber, Abhandlungen der Königlichen Böhmischen
Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften, 7: 484–485.
1906. Anisops
fieberi Kirkaldy: Distant, Fauna of British India, 3: 46.
Material
examined: Regn.no.3147/H15,
14males, 6females, 12.iii.2011, wetland beside Gajaldoba Teesta Barrage,
Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation,
Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Male
body length 6.0–7.5 mm, maximum width of body 1.5–1.8mm. Female attains a
length of 6.0–7.0mm, maximum body width 1.4–1.9mm.
Description:
Slightly fusiform species. Dorsally pearlaceous or stramineous. Eyes brown.
Scutellum tinged with pale orange. Abdominal venter black with keel. The head
rounded anteriorly with the vertex extending beyond the anterior margins of
eyes.Synthlipsis narrow. Pronotum with its humeral width twice the median
length, posterior margin convex, medianly emerginate. Frons produced anteriorly
into a cephalic horn, apex of which with a median depression. Labrum short and
broad, basal portion provided with a few long hairs. Stridulatory comb consists
of approximately 14teeth.
Global
distribution: India,
Australia, Celebes, New Guinea, and Guam.
Distribution
in India: Assam,
Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Ponds,
lakes, and water tanks.
Remarks:
This species
is similar to A. batillifrons Lundblad. They are abundant in ponds with
aquatic vegetation.
Genus Nychia Stal, 1860
Diagnosis:
Body
elongate, oval, whitish dorsally, mostly found in brachypterous forms. Head not
as broad as pronotum. Eyes very large, inner margins converging dorsally and
meeting each other in posterior third. Antennae three-segmented. Pronotum
broader than long with antero-lateral margins distinctly foveate. Claval
commissure of hemelytra continuous. Mid femur with a pair of stout bristles
ventrally in basal half. Fore and mid tarsi two segmented in males and one
segmented in female. Male parameres asymmetrical, small. Female with short
gonapophyses.
Nychia sappho Kirkaldy, 1901: Image 30. a–k
1901b. Nychia
marshalli sappho Kirkaldy, Annali di Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova,
20: 809.
1910a. Nychia
marshalli (Scott, 1872): Distant, Fauna of British India, 5: 334.
1933. Nychia
malayana Lundblad, Archiv für Hydrobiologie, Supplement, 12: 148.
2001. Nychia
proxmarshalli (Scott): Thirumalai, Fauna of Conservation area, 11:
116.
Material
examined: Regn.no.4611/H15,
1 female, 16.ix.2011, Ghoshpukur Dighi, Kamala Bagan, Darjeeling District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 5 females, 17.iv.2013, Sikhiajhora,
Alipurduar District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation,
Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Males
attain a length of 3.6–5.2 mm and females may attain a length of 4.6–5.8 mm.
Maximum body width of male (across middle) 1.27mm and of female 1.43mm.
Description:
Dorsally entirely white with dark reddish eyes. Females are wider than
male. Males are slender in appearance. Head length 0.612mm, head with vertex a
little raised. Antenna three-segmented, hidden inside a groove ventrally.Eyes
holoptic, united basally, length of eye 0.71mm and width 0.59mm. Interocular
region narrow, width 0.18mm.Rostrum 1.03mm in length, dark brown in colour.
Males are with rostral prong in the second rostral segment. Pronotum 1.56 times
wider than length (W/L=1.24/0.79), short and trasverse with concave angles.
Hemelytra translucent. Scutellum small, 0.87mm in length and 0.59mm in width,
hemelytra without clavus and sutures. In females, hemelytra fully covered the
body, while in males, body remains uncovered. Length of abdomen 2.21mm, width
0.69mm.Ventral abdominal keel not extending upto the last abdominal segment,
abdominal sternites fringed with long dark hairs. Fore femur 1.48mm in length,
0.64mm in width, with seven spines arranged medio-ventrally. Fore tarsae
two-segmented, 0.66mm and 0.25mm in length, respectively.
Genitalia:
Male genital segments dark black, hairy medially and laterally. Male left
and right paramere as in Image 30j & k, stout, black in colour, more or
less sigmoid-shaped, with a few long setae basally. Female genital segment as
in Image 30f.
Global
distribution: India,
Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Africa, Taiwan, and
Philippinesss.
Distribution
in India: Tamil Nadu,
Pondicherry, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Freshwater
ecosystems such as fishing ponds, lakes, rivers, etc.
Remarks:
This genus
is with only a few poorly known species in India. It can be easily identified
by the structure of its eyes, which arejoined basally.
Genus Enithares Spinola, 1837
Diagnosis:
Body
medium-sized, convex dorsally. Head narrow. Eyes large, distinct, dorsally
occupying about two-third of head. Antenna four-segmented. Ocelli absent.
Rostrum four-segmented. Pronotum broader than head, lateral margins diverging.
Pronotal fovea present near antero-lateral margin. Nodal furrow present in the
corium, directed inwards from lateral margins. Wing membrane bilobed. Fore and
mid tarsae three-segmented. Hind tarsi two-segmented. A pair of sharp tarsal
claws in all legs. Mid femur modified, with a pointed spur-like protuberance.
Abdominal keel fringed with hairs along lateral margins. Genital capsule
(segment IX) cleft medianly into an anterior and posterior lobe. Parameres
symmetrical. Female genital segment (segment VI) produced towards end.
Enithares mandalayensis Distant, 1910: Image 31. a–h
Material
examined: Regn.no.4772/H15,
1 female, 18.iii.2012, jhora infront of Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary,
Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation,
Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Male
body length ranges between 6.7–6.8 mm, maximum body width 2.75mm. In female,
the body length reaches upto 6.5–8mm, maximum body width 2.2–2.75 mm.
Description:
Small, robust species, more or less dark species. Eyes reddish brown, vertex
yellowish brown in colour. Pronotum medially with a pale transverse band,
posteriorly hyaline appearing brown to black. Scutellum yellowish brown. Head
dorsally rounded, 0.67mm in length and width infront of eyes is 0.48mm.
Anterior width of vertex slightly produced. Synthlipsis just less than half the
anterior width of vertex. Length of eye 0.97mm and width 0.84mm. Interocular
width 0.58mm, less wide than eye width. Pronotum 0.66mm in length. Humeral
width 2.21mm, lateral margins of pronotum diverging, posterior margin almost
straigth. Rostrum 1.54mm in length. Both sexes have a slight depression on
anterior surface of hind femur near to trochanter. Hind femur with a nodule
distally. Mesotrochanter as in Image 31g. Ventrally, metaxyphus as in Image
31e. Abdomen 2.58mm in length, 1.58mm in width, tapering towards the end.
Genitalia:
Male paramere pear-shaped, concave along outer margin. Female ovipositor long,
stout, and sometimes reaching little beyond the end of abdomen.
Global
distribution: India,
Myanmar, Thialand, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Distribution
in India: Assam,
Manipur, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Small
streams within forests, stagnant temporary pools, etc.
Remarks:
This species
is a new record to the State of West Bengal.
Enithares unicata Lundblad, 1933: Image 32. a–g
Material
examined: Regn.no.4758/H15,
2 females, 17.iii.2012, wetland within Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary,
Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation,
Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Female
body length ranges from 6.7–7.5 mm. Male attains a length between 7.5–8.0 mm.
In both sexes, maximum width ranges within 2.3–2.75 mm.
Description: Small pale species. Eyes pale reddish
brown. Vertex with a black stripe along inner margins. Anterior part of
pronotum yellowish brown, posteriorly appearing dark brown to black. Scutellum
yellowish brown. Abdomen ventrally black. In dorsal view, head rounded.
Anterior width of vertex slightly produced. Head length 1.1mm and width 0.81mm
(infront of eyes). Pronotum 0.90mm in length. Humeral width 2.54mm. Scutellum
1.56mm in length, 1.67mm in width. Interocular width 0.72mm. Eyes 1.2mm in
length, 0.83mm in width. Pronotal posterior margin convex, centrally
emerginated. Hind femur (2.41mm) longer than the mid femur (1.43mm). Hind femur
distally with two spines as in Image 32d. Mesotrochanter rounded. Claw of mid
leg is curved, stout. Length of abdomen 2.85mm and width 1.94mm, ventrally
hairy, and with a prominent keel. Metaxyphus as in Image 32g, elongated,
apically convergent.
Genitalia:
Male parameres short and triangular. Female ovipositor prominent and elongated.
Global
distribution: Sumatra,
Java, India
Distribution
in India: West Bengal
Habitat:
Small pools
with rich vegetation and muddy bottom, and stagnant pools within forests.
Remarks:
This species
is a new record in India. It is almost distinguishable from Enithares
mandalayensis, by the male chaetotaxy of mid leg, metaxyphus of both sexes,
and male genitalia. It is quite possible that Enithares unicata is only
a geographic race of E. mandalayensis.
Family Pleidae Fieber, 1851
Body
minute (size 1.5–3mm), compact, with strongly condensed body, swimming
upside-down, somewhat resembling miniature notonectids, having the head and
thorax not fused. Because of their small size, they may escape notice of
collectors. The head relatively large, directed ventro-caudad; rostrum short
and three-segmented. The abdomen has a distinct midventral carina.
Genus Paraplea Esaki & China,
1928
Diagnosis:
Small,
yellowish to light brownish, oval shaped body. Body length upto 2.5mm. Eyes
large, globular and dark red in color. Antennae three-segmented, hidden beneath
the head. Ocelli absent. Rostrum four-segemented. Pronotum large, quadrate, and
either reticulate or punctuate. Hind legs with swimming hairs and with two
claws in tarsae. Fore and hind tarsi with two segments. Sternites 2–6 with
keel.
Paraplea frontalis (Fieber, 1844): Image 33. a–h
1844. Ploa
frontalis Fieber, Entomologische Monographien Leipzig, 18.
1906. Plea
frontalis (Fieber): Distant, Fauna of British India, 3: 48.
1934. Plea
(Paraplea) frontalis (Fieber): Lundblad, Archiv für Hydrobiologie
Supplement, 12:138.
1947. Plea
(Paraplea) frontalis (Fieber): Hafiz & Pradhan, Rec. Indian Mus.,
45: 349.
Material
examined: Regn.no.2711/H15,
2 males, 3 females, 17.ix.2011, pond near Baradighi, Malbazar, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological
Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Male
body length ranges from 2.0–2.2mm and female attains a length of 2.1–2.5 mm,
relatively larger species.
Description:
General body color yellowish brown to dark brown. Eyes reddish brown. Scutellum
yellowish white. On the vertex two pale brown oval spots present. Head pattern
consists of two pairs of dots dorsally of the median stripe. The head marking
pattern, however, may be vague or absent except for the median stripe. Frons
and vertex finely punctuate. Interocular width almost twice the width of an
eye. Pronotum wider than long, lacking the characteristic well-defined dots at
humeral angles and posterior margin. Hemelytra with very fine hairs, coarsely
reticulately punctuate. Metasternal keel with a more or less irregular anterior
margin and a shallow depression at middle. Abdominal sterna with three distinct
backwardly directed keel.
Genitalia:
Male genital segments modified. Seventh male sternite obtuse or with a small
notch. Male parameres as in Image 33h, with several setae. Seventh female
sternite with small acute tip. Female ovipositor (Image 33g) with numerous
spines, the number ranges from 14–17 in right ovipositor and in left
ovipositor, the spines are 16–20.
Global
distribution: Myanmar,
Sumatra, Java, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, West
Malaysia, and India.
Distribution
in India: Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Pondicherry, Punjab, Tamil
Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Freshwater
ecosystems like ponds, lakes with plenty of aquatic vegetation, and swamps.
Remarks:
This species
has a wide range of distribution. They are predators, and feed on mosquito
larvae, small crustaceans, water fleas, etc.
Infraorder Gerromorpha Popov, 1971
Family Gerridae Leach, 1815
Body
elongate or oval with sub-apical claws, hind femora reaching beyond the apex of
abdomen and the middle legs, usually distinctly longer than the hind legs. The
body is covered with a velvety hydrofuge, hair-pile and the colour varies from
black or grey to brown, the dorsum being marked with light grey or yellow lines
or spots. Macropterous, brachypterous, micropterous and apterous forms are
frequently encountered. The size ranges from 2–40mm.
Genus Ptilomera Amyot and Serville,
1843
Diagnosis:
Large,
robust, stout water striders. Body colouration dark brown to yellowish brown or
dark green, with areas of black markings covered by silvery pubescence,
ventrally pale yellow to white. Head anteriorly widened infront of eyes with
antennal tubercles divergent anteriorly. Eyes large, reddish brown or black,
broadly rounded. First antennal segment longer than the combined length of
II–IV. Rostrum short with two long sensory setae on posterior margin of segment
III, not reaching beyond the prosternum. Pronotum in apterous forms
sub-quadragular in shape, wider than long, posterior margin of pronotum
straight to weakly concave. Metanotum shorter than mesonotum, with median
longitudinal depressed black midline. In macropterous forms, pronotum is
greatly enlarged. Fore wing with distinct venation. Forelegs enlarged with
femur straight, weakly incrassate, longer than tibiae, fore tibiae slender,
with spur on inner margin at apex, fore femur and tibia with a few small black
tubercles along inner margin. Male mid femur bearing a fringe of stiff black
setae, which is absent in females. Male abdominal tergite VIII greatly enlarged
and conspicuous. Proctiger expanded, often with lateral wings. Pygophore
elongated.Parameres large, curved, bearing fringe of long setae. Female genital
segments with well-developed connexival spines.
Ptilomera (Proptilomera) himalayensis Hungerford and Matsuda: Image 34. a–f and
Image 35. g–m
Material
examined: Regn.no.3171/H15,
1 male, 1 female, 19.iv.2013, Buxa Jhora, near Buxa Fort, Buxa Tiger Reserve
Forest, Alipurduar District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 1
female, 1.x.2013, Gourjan Jhora, near Malbazar, Jalpaiguri District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 4 males, 4 females, 7 nymphs, 15.iii.2012, Teesta
River, near Rabijhora, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S Basu; 1
female, 22.iii.2013, Teesta River, near Chitre Bridge, Darjeeling District,
West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of
India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of macropterous male 14.2–15.0mm. Body length of macropterous female
12.2–14.5 mm. Apterous males arise a length of 10.7–11.2 mm and apterous
females attain 11.9–12.3 mm in length.
Description:
Length of head 1.16mm, width across eyes 1.52mm, interocular width (0.75mm)
1.66 times wider than the eye width (0.45mm). Eyes 1.7 times as long as width
(L/W=0.78/0.45), head infront of eyes little swollen, with a few trichobothrial
setae. Vertex with a pair of backward angling dark spots on either sides of
midline, interocular region with a pair of vertical dark band parallel to the
margin of eyes, and with a few silvery setae. Antenna dark brown with silvery
pubescence, first antennal segment longer than the length of rests together,
length of antennomeres, 1–4: 5.29mm, 1.16mm, 2.01mm, and 1.32mm. Rostrum 1.55mm
in length, extending upto the margin of fore coxa, third segment of rostrum
covered with short recumbent silver setae. Pronotum 1.1mm in length and 1.7
times wider than length (width 1.91mm), with a cavity-like dark patch present
medially, a shallow transverse sulcus starting from posterior margin of
pronotum reaching up to the margin of humeri. Humeral width 2.76mm, posterior
margin narrowly flattened, evenly curving, demarcated by a shallow curving
sulcus. Wings uniformly pale brown with prominent dark venation, extending
beyond the posterior tip of abdomen. Abdominal tergites 2.8 times longer than
the width (L/W=4.36/1.53), tergites II–VII dark brown with small silvery setae
and a median yellowish patch. Connexiva prominent, dark brown, about one fourth
as wide as abdominal tergites. Fore trochanter with four prominent setae, fore
leg 6.01mm in length and 0.71mm in width, with a dense hairy black patches
towards its inner margin basally and with a few setae distally, two small tooth
present near tibial margin. Fore tibia with two small tooth followed by a small
curvature, marked with another small tooth towards its anterior margin; outer
and inner margin with rows of hairs. Fore tarsae two-segmented, hairy with a
pair of sharp, curved claws. Mid and hind legs with thick upright black setae
throughout, mid femur with swimming hair fringe posteriorly. Metacoxal spine
absent.
Genitalia:
Abdominal sternite VIII broadly elongated, clothed with short black recumbent
setae dorsally, length 1.65mm and width 0.95mm. Seventh abdominal segment of
male short. Pygophore (Image 35l) small, simple and broad, the lateral lobes of
pygophore slender and hidden inside except their tips, without dorsolateral
projections. Male proctiger as in Image 35k. Paramere as in Image 35m, apex
sharp, but ends bluntly. In female, seventh abdominal segment simple, without
prominent connexival spines.
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: Arunachal
Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Hill
streams, mountainous rivers, and waterfalls.
Remarks:
They are
mostly found in the streams with high water currents. The members of this
species can be easily distinguishable from other Ptilomera species by
the absence of metacoxal spine.
Ptilomera (Ptilomera) laticaudata (Hardwicke, 1823): Image 36. a–i and
Image 37: j–p
1823. Gerris
laticaudata Hardwicke, Transactions of the Linnean Society of London,
14:134
Material
examined: Regn.no.3682/H15,
1 female, 23.iii.2013, Rishi River, Site 2, Rishikhola, Darjeeling District,
West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2 males, 1 females, 2 nymphs, 4.x.2013,
Bagdogra, Sanyasithan Tea Garden, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India,
coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 3 nymphs, 19.iv.2013, Bajekhola, Jayanti Forest, Buxa
Tiger Reserve, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male,
19.iii.2013, Buri Torsha riverside, South Khairabari Reserve Forest, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 males, 3 females, 1.x.2013, Chel
River, Gorubathan, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1
male, 3 females, 19.iii.2012, Chel River, near Ranichera Tea Garden, Malbazar,
Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 1 female, 2
nymphs, 11.ix.2011, jhora near Bagrakote Tea Garden, Jalpaiguri District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2 males, 2 females, 26.ix.2012, jhora near
Kalimpong, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2 males, 18.iv.2013,
jhora near Chilapata Forest, Mendabari Beat, Alipurduar District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 21.iii.2013, Jorkhola, Bukulung, near Mirik,
Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 2 nymphs,
17.iii.2013, Kalikhola, between Gorumara and Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary,
Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 1 female,
11.ix.2011, Mal River, Malbazar, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll.
S. Basu; 3 males, 1 females, 3 nymphs, 17.iii.2013, Murti River, near Murti
Rail Bridge, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2 males, 1
female, 8 nymphs, 9.xi.2013, Murti River, Samsing, Jalpaiguri District, West
Bengal, India, coll. M. Chakrabarty; 1 male, 1 female, 1 nymph, 17.iii.2013,
Neora River, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2 males, 3
females, 4 nymphs, 20.iv.2013, Raimatang River, Raimatang, Buxa Tiger Reserve
Range, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2 males, 1
female, 4 nymphs, 15.iii.2012, Relly Khola, Teesta Bazar, Darjeeling District,
West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 1 female, 23.iii.2013, Rishi River,
Site 2, Rishikhola, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu;1
male, 1 female, 19.iv.2013, Bajekhola, Jayanti Forest, Buxa Tiger Reserve
Forest, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2 females, 4
nymphs, 1.x.2013, Chel River, Gorubathan, Darjeeling District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S. Basu; 3 females, 1 nymph, 20.iii.2012, falls near Bunkulung,
near Mirik, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 3
nymphs, 18.iv.2013, jhora near Chilapata Forest, Mendabari Beat, Alipurduar
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 1 female, 1nymph,
10.iii.2011, jhora infront of Chapramari Rail Gate, Jalpaiguri District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S Basu; 1 male, 1 female, 17.iii.2013, Murti River, near
Murti Rail Bridge, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu;
1male, 6females, 24.ix.2012, Murti River, on the way to Chalsa, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1female, 13.ix.2011, Teesta River,
Rabijhora, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 1
female, 3 nymphs, 15.iii.2012, Rellykhola, near Teesta Bazar, Darjeeling
District, West Bengal, India, 23.iii.2013, coll. S. Basu; 3 females, Rishi
River, Site 1, Rishikhola, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S.
Basu; 2 males, 1 nymph, 11.ix.2011, Sukhajhora, Malbazar, Jalpaiguri District,
West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of
India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of apterous male ranges between 11.8–14mm; macropterous male may attain
a length of 13.9–15.4mm; body length of apterous female varies from
13.0–15.4mm.
Description:
Body colour metallic brown. Female has four black dots on vertex. Maximum body
width across mesoacetabula 2.58mm in male and 3.15mm in female. Head 1.6 times
as long as width (L/W=1.26/0.8). First antennal segment longer than the rest.
The length of antennal segments 1–4: 5.07mm, 0.87mm, 1.65mm, 1.05mm.Interocular
width almost as wide as head width, i.e., 0.76mm. Pronotum 1.96 times as wide
as the length (W/L=1.98/1.01). Abdomen 1.3 times as long as meso and metanotum
together, width of abdomen 1.42mm.
Genitalia:
Length of male genital segment 1.21mm and width 2.74mm. Pygophore with
median lobe very broad, but short, not as long as the distal width of lateral
wing, sometimes surpassing the later caudally. Pygophore (Image 37n) relatively
short, its tip bluntly pointed. Front and rear margin of wings not parallel.
Paramere (Image 37o & p) in dorsal view sigmoid with the tip hairy; seventh
abdominal tergite (Image 37m) of female with rear margin not broadly rounded.
Base of connexival spine arising from beneath the dorsal edge of seventh
connexivum, the transverse base of connexival spines overlapping the rear
margin of seventh abdominal segment on either side. Connexival spines long,
their tips attaining the tips of dorsolateral lobe.
Global
distribution: Nepal
and India.
Distribution
in India: Sikkim, West
Bengal, Assam, and Himachal Pradesh.
Habitat: Hill streams, rivers, and waterfalls.
Remarks:
During
monsoon in North Bengal, this species is found abundantly in hilly areas.
Genus Heterobates Bianchi
Diagnosis:
Dorsally
dark black, clothed with short silvery pubescence. Head with a median black
spot and marginal yellowish area. Pronotum with or without median longitudinal
yellow stripe. Antenna about as long as body length in male, but shorter than
body in female, first segment longer than the rests together. Rostrum stout and
densely clothed with hairs. Mesonotum has distinct median longitudinal sulcus.
Fore femur sparsely clothed with long hairs on inner margin, fore tibia with a
conspicuous process at inner apical angle. Mid tibia with fringed hairs
basally, first mid tarsal segment longer than the second, without claws. Hind
tibia strongly curved apically, with inconspicuous fringe of hairs on entire
inner margin. Male genital segment VIII with dorsal apical margin rounded.
Pygophore well-exposed, narrowly rounded on apical margin. Connexivum slanting
towards middle basally in female, each abdominal tergites in female becoming
progressively larger posteriorly. Seventh segment of female broadly rounded on
dorsal apical margin.
Heterobates rihandi (Pradhan, 1950): Image 38. a–h and Image
39. i–n
1950a. Teratobates
rihandi Pradhan, Records of the Indian Museum, 48: 103.
Material
examined: Regn.no.4060/H15,
5 males, 4 females, 17.iii.2012, Dhupjhora, Gachbari, Murti River, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 3 females, 1 nymph,
17.iii.2012, Dhupjhora, Murti River, within Gorumara National Park, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 4 males, 5 females, 3 nymphs,
17.iii.2013, Jaldhaka River, Nagrakata, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S. Basu; 10 males, 2 females, 21 nymphs, 20.iii.2012, Mahananda
River, within Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Darjeeling District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S. Basu; 2 males, 11.ix.2011, Mal River, Jalpaiguri District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 4 males, 5 females, 3 nymphs, 9.iii.2011, Murti
River, Chalsa, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 3 males,
3 females, 10.iii.2011, Murti River, infront of Murti Banani Bungalow,
Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S Basu; 4 females, 17.iii.2012,
Murti River, Medla Camp, Gorumara National Park, Jalpaiguri District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 1 female, 11.ix.2011, Sukhajhora near
Malbazar, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 1
female, 14.iii.2011, Teesta River near Sevoke Coronation Bridge, Darjeeling
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological
Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of male ranges from 6.8–7.1 mm and females may attain a length of
7.0–7.4mm.
Description:
Body black dorsally. Head pale brown with a central longitudinal spot extending
from its anterior end to the vertex, the central spot at its posterior margin
deeply emerginate. Antennal tubercles tipped with black. First antennal segment
much longer than the other threesegments together. Head 1.9 times as long as
wide (L/W=0.85/ 045). Eyes large, prominent and casteneous. Length of eyes
0.46mm, width 0.22mm. Rostrum 1.47mm in length, four-segmented, not passing
beyond anterior coxae, third segment longest than others. Pronotum shining
black with an inverted ‘T’-shaped pale yellowish brown markings touching the
posterior margin. Length of pronotum 0.58mm and width 1.02mm. Meso and metaotum
shining black with silvery grey pubescence, provided with a central
longitudinal yellowish brown marking at middle. Abdomen three times longer than
wide (L/W=2.75/0.9). In male, abdomen black with yellowish brown genital
segment. Fore femora pale yellowish brown, distinctly longer than tibia. Fore
tibiae with a distinct apical spine-like protuberance. Mid tibiae fringed with
long swimming hairs inwardly.
Genitalia:
Male genital segment 0.62mm in length and 0.46mm in width and bluntly
acuminated towards apex. Male paramere as in Image 39n. Male proctiger broad,
lateral margin little pointed outward (Image 39k). Female genital segment
elongated, more or less W-shaped. Sixth abdominal tergite widest, terminal
segment pale ochraceous, short, with a few short fine bristles at its posterior
margin. Female connexival spines long and pointed.
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: Uttar
Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
River,
streams, and riffles.
Remarks:
This species
is a new record to West Bengal. They are mostly found hiding between cobbles.
They possess a distinctly demarcated flattened body ventrally, which helps them
in adhering to the stones or in beds of fast-flowing hill streams.
Genus Pleciobates Esaki, 1930
Diagnosis:
Body long,
cylindrical, dark black dorsally, ventrally grey in colour, pilose.Occur in
both apterous and macropterous forms. Head wider than long, protruding beyond
eyes. Antennae long, slender, first antennal segment longest, third segment
longer than second and fourth. Rostrum short, not extending beyond prosternum.
In apterous forms, the pronotum short, transverse, wider than long with
anterior central marking. Mesonotum longer than pronotum. Metanotum shorter
than mesonotum, equal or longer than pronotum. Fore leg simple, without any
modifications. Mid leg longest. Abdominal connexival spines well-developed in
females, absent in male.
Pleciobates bengalensis Jehamalar, Basu & Zettel, 2014: Image 40. a–j
Material
examined: Regn.no.
3444/H15, 15 males, 1 female, 19.iv.2013, Raidhak River, Alipurduar District,
West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2 females, 17.iv.2013, Dima River, Buxa
Tiger Reserve, Damanpur Forest, West Bengal, India, coll. S.Basu; 4 males, 1
female, 17.iv.2013, Sikhiajhora Stream, Alipurduar District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S.Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of male varies from 6.07–6.90 mm; body width (across mesoacetabula)
1.80–1.76 mm. Body length of female ranges from 6.43–7.10 mm, width at
mesoacetabula 2.13–2.50 mm.
Description:
Dorsally dark brown to black except yellowish brown head (with a
crown-shaped black mark in front of eyes), pronotum with yellow median oblong
mark.Venter pale yellowish brown. Dorsally body clothed with minute silvery
white hairs, prominent on meso and metanotal sulcations and on abdominal
tergites. Head length 0.85mm, maximum head width across eyes 1.14mm, eye length
0.54mm, eye width 0.33mm. Dorsum of head with rows of few setae from base of
antennal tubercle along inner eye margins to base of head. Lengths of antennal
segments 1–4: 3mm, 0.81mm, 0.80mm, 0.76mm. Pronotum with anterior margin almost
straight and posterior margin straight to concave. Meso and metanota with
median longitudinal sulcus and clothed with minute silvery white hairs,
combined length of meso and metanota 2.52mm. Fore trochanter with 4–6 long
setae on ventral region. Fore femur dorsally with two broad black stripes, one
on anterior margin and another about one-fifth from posterior margin, both
confluent near apex (Image 40c), ventrally without prominent stripe, apically
margined with piceous hue. Flexor side of femur with 9–11 setose spines, apex
with three minute spines in addition to fringe of setae. Ventral region of mid
trochanter with 2–5 denticles. Fore claws absent. Hind trochanter at
posteroventral region with one to three thin short brown spines, femur at base
of inner margin with three thin erect hairs, apex of femur with few stout
spines. Dorsal length of abdomen of male 2.28mm, abdominal venter densely
clothed with silvery white hairs. Anterior margin of tergite I distinctly
convex and posterior margin distinctly concave (Image 40e), anterior region of
sternum VIII with transverse depression.
Genitalia:
Proctiger very broad at base, suddenly narrowed beyond midlength, clothed with
dense hairs (Image 40j). Pygophore with W-shaped median notch at base, its
apical part produced into tongue-like lobe, clothed with minute hairs,
posterolateral region of basal part blunt in lateral view (Image 40g). Paramere
basally stout, curved before middle, outer margin beyond middle curved, apical
part with pilosity, tip blunt and slightly bent to middle (Image 40h), visible
externally at abdominal tip. Dorsal sclerite of endosoma deeply split
anteriorly and basally (Image 40i). Connexival segment VI with long, tubular,
yellowish brown process clothed with numerous short hairs, first gonapophysis
(G-I) with several long setae basoventrally on both sides and with numerous
medium-sized setae dispersed throughout ventral region; apically with a
thorn-like blunt process, length of process I (GP-I).
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: West Bengal.
Habitat:
This species
is found in the shady areas of slow-flowing rivers or streams.
Remarks: The males of Pleciobates bengalensis
Jehamalar, Basu & Zettel, 2014 can be easily distinguished from the most
closely related species, P. expositus, by a prominent silvery white
fascia on each side of the sublateral region of the mesonotum, the straight
posterior margin of abdominal tergite VII, the concave posterior margin of
tergite VIII, and the structure of endosomal sclerites.
Genus Chimarrhometra Bianchi, 1896
Diagnosis:
Body
elongated, dorsally yellowish to reddish brown with black or brown markings.
Venter pale in color. Head directed forward with small distinctly visible
antenniferous tubercles. Eyes large, globular. Antennae slender, shorter than
the body, first antennal segment distinctly longer than the other segments,
without spine-like hairs. Rostrum stout, reaching hind margin of prosternum.
Pronotal lobe completely reduced in apterous forms. Fore femora incrassate in
male. Hind legs much shorter than the mid leg. Hind tarsae shorter than mid
tarsae, claws long, hook-shaped. Males with relatively short pregenital
abdomen. Male parameres very long and falciform with short hairs. Female
sternum VII sub-equal in length of preceding two sterna together.
Chimarrhometra orientalis Distant: Image 41. a–i
1879. Halobates
(?) orientalis Distant, Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society
of London: 126.
1908. Rheumatotrechus
himalayanus Kirkaldy, CanadianEntomologist, 40: 452.
1910b. Gerris
monticola Distant, Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 5(8):141.
Material
examined: Regn.no.
3181/H15, 2 males, 5 females, 29.ix.2013, Bijanbari Bazar, Darjeeling District,
West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2 males, 3 females, from Buxa Jhora, 19.iv.2013,
Buxa Fort, Buxa Tiger Reserve, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll.
S. Basu; 2 males, 3 females, 1 nymph, 12.ix.2011, Dhobijhora, Mongpu,
Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 1 female,
1.x.2013, jhora near Gorubathan, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll.
S. Basu; 3 males, 1 female, 14.iii.2011, Kalijhora, near Teesta Coronation
Bridge, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S Basu; 5 males, 4
females, 23.iii.2013, stagnant pool beside Rishi River, Rishikhola, Darjeeling
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 30.ix.2013, stream near
Pulbazar, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 6 females, 4
nymphs, 14.iii.2011, Teesta River near Sevoke Coronation Bridge, Darjeeling,
West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 4 nymphs, 20.iii.2013, falls near Bunkulung,
Mirik, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet
preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Males
may attain a length of about 8.0mm. Length of female insects vary from 8–9.2mm.
Description:
Body yellowish brown to reddish brown dorsally. Head with a broad median band
and narrow lateral stripes. Antennae and legs mainly brownish yellow. Fore
wings brownish. Head with semi-globular, large eyes, width of head across head
1.2–1.4mm. Length of antennal segments 1–4: 1.7mm, 1.3mm, 1.1mm, 1.2mm.
Pronotum truncated anteriorly with mid-longitudinal pale line and mesonotum
with paired oblique depression near the anterior margin. Fore femora distinctly
incrassate, length 2.5mm and width 1.1mm. Mid femur sub-equal in length to
body, but little longer than the hind femur. Wings reaching apex of abdomen.
Genitalia:
Male genital segment (Image 41h) more or less depressed posteriorly, sternite
VII a little longer than preceding two sterna together. Male pygophore (Image
41i) large, sub-ovate, forked into into a pair of prominent, vertically raised,
antler shaped process. Parameres (Image 41h) falciform, large, with apices
crossing beneath pygophore. In females, genital segments protruding from
abdominal end (Image 41f). Proctiger small and cone-shaped.
Global
distribution: Pakistan
and India.
Distribution
in India: Arunachal
Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Uttar
Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Hill
streams, waterfalls, cascades, and rivers.
Remarks:
They are
mostly found in the shallow edges of streams or between rocks in streams. They
can be easily identified by their modified male genital segment.
Genus Amemboa Esaki (1925)
Diagnosis:
Body
elongate and oval. Head slightly projected infront of eyes. Dorsally, body
yellow to orange yellow with black or brown markings. Head with lyre-shaped
markings or sometimes with two sub-lateral stripes. Antennal tubercles small
but distinctly visible from above. Eyes large, globular. First, second, and
third antennal segments sub-equal in length, fourth segment longer than the
third. First antennomere with short dark scattered spines. Pronotum wider than
interocular width. Fore femora incrassate in some species and with modification
like patches of black hairs or with spines. Hind tibia shorter than mid tibia.
First segment of mid tarsus longer than the second segment. Male pygophore
usually modified apically, proctiger with or without lateral arms. Parameres
always rudimentary often large. Female abdominal sternum VII longer than all
preceding sterna. Female proctiger rounded posteriorly.
Amemboa kumari (Distant, 1910): Image 42. a–f
1910b. Onychotrechus
kumari Distant, Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 5 (8):145.
1984. Amemboa
(Amemboa) kumari (Distant): Polhemus and Andersen, Steenstrupia, 10
(3): 85.
1950b. Amemboa
pervati Pradhan, Records of the Indian Museum, 48 (3 & 4): 12.
Material
examined: Regn.no.3506/H15,
2 females, 8.iii.2011, Sikhiajhora, Alipurduar District, West Bengal, India,
coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of male 3.12–3.3 mm and body length of female 3.46–3.52 mm. Max body width
of male 0.95mm and of female 1.24mm.
Description:
Body dark black with distinct yellowish orange markings. Length of head
0.61mm and width 0.39mm, head directed forward, with median lyre-shaped
markings and two sub-lateral streaks. Antennal tubercle small, but visible from
above. Length of antennal segments 1–4: 0.68mm, 0.56mm, 0.63mm, 0.72mm.
Interocular width 0.39mm. Eye length 0.32mm and width 0.18mm, eyes large and
globular, red in colour. Length of pronotum 0.39mm and width 0.83mm, pronotum
anteriorly with two median and two sublateral longitudinal stripes. Metanotum
and abdomen dorsally dark, marked with yellow markings. Mesopleura with
longitudinal dark stripe, venter pale yellow, marked with one median and two
sublateral dark markings. Metasternal process is sub-triangular and centrally
longitudinally sulcate. Male fore femur relatively slender, with two separate
hair tufts beyond middle. Mid femur relatively long. Length of abdomen 1.11mm
and width 0.69mm.
Genitalia:
Length of female genital segment 0.58mm and width 0.52mm. Female genitalia as
in Image 42e & f.
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: Karnataka,
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Jungle
streams, pools, puddles near river banks or stream beds.
Remarks:
This species
is a new record to West Bengal.The females are difficult to identify without
associated males.
Amemboa mahananda Basu, Subramanian & Polhemus, 2014:
Image 43. a–i, Image 44.j–o
Material
examined: Regn.no.4597/H15,
9 males, 3 females, 20.iii.2012, stagnant pool, Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary,
Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 5 males, 3 females, 2
nymphs, 20.iii.2012, Panchanoi River, Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Darjeeling
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological
Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of male 3.24–3.48 mm (3.36mm), maximum width across mesoacetabula
1.10–1.20 mm (1.13mm). Body length of female 3.42–3.69 mm, maximum width across
mesoacetabula 1.30–1.36 mm.
Description:
Black with prominent yellowish orange markings and silvery dots dorsally. Head
little broader than long, yellowish with a roughly V-shaped black mark
medially, a pair of black elongated spots near the inner margin of eyes.
Interocular region 2.4 times longer than eye width (interocular width/eye
width=0.44/0.18). Antennal segments spiny, antennomere 1–3 almost equal in
length, length of antennal segment 1–4: 0.78mm, 0.74mm, 0.75mm, 0.86mm. Rostrum
1.40mm in length, surpassing the fore trochanter. Pronotum with a roughly
W-shaped yellow mark, laterally connected to the propleural stripes. Mesonotum
and metanotum also with a prominent broad W-shaped yellow mark, wider than
head.Certain individuals with middle arm of this ‘W’ disconnected from
remainder of the two arms. Genital segments (tergite VIII) black with three
triangular, small yellowish markings anteriorly. Mesonotum and metanotum 2.9
times longer than pronotum. Fore femur with three hairy black patches located
almost equidistantly, followed by a shallow curvature distally. In some
specimens, the last two black hairy patches connected with a median hairy zone
distally, where as some lack this continuation. Fore leg of female relatively
simple, without any markings (Imaeg 43c). Middle femur 2.5 times as long as
fore femur and 1.1 times longer than hind femur. Fore tibia hairy, basally with
an indentation. Tarsus with a pair of prominent curved claws. Abdomen including
genital segment 1.3 times longer than the width (length/width=0.91/0.72).
Genitalia:
Sternite VIII of male, 1.3 times longer than width (length/width=0.96/0.7),
almost rectangular with its curved lateral arm of proctiger projecting outward
in some individuals, however, in others, this is hidden within the genital
segment. Pygophore widened basally on ventral view, but tapering distally, with
scattered long hairs medially and densely arranged hairs along its margin.
Proctiger shaped as roughly arrow-shaped, outer margin curving inward. The lateral
arms of proctiger long, slender curved at middle, distally almost straight,
weakly narrowed towards truncated apex (Image 44l & m). Female genital
segment bucket shaped, much wider anteriorly (Image 43g & h).
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: West Bengal.
Habitat:
Stagnant
pools covered with algae and steep, shaded banks of streams.
Remarks:
Amemboa
mahananda Basu,
Subramanian & Polhemus, 2014 is a close relative of Amemboa speciosa
Polhemus and Andersen, 1984 from southern Vietnam.
Amemboa bifurcata Basu, Subramanian and Polhemus, 2014:
Image 45. a–j, Image 46.k–p
Material
examined: Regn.no.
3134/H15, 2 males, 19.iv.2013, Bania River, Chilapata Forest, Alipurduar
District, coll. S. Basu; 4 males, 10 females, 4 nymphs, 17.iii.2013, Kalikhola,
stream flowing between Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary and Gorumara National
Park, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet
preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of male 3.23–3.62 mm, maximum width across mesoacetabula 1.04–1.13
mm.Body length of female 4.14–4.28 mm, maximum width across mesoacetabula
1.33–1.36mm.
Description:
Brownish black with yellow markings dorsally. Head yellowish with black
markings, 1.2 times wider than long, length of head 0.57mm, width of head
across eyes 0.71mm. Interocular width 0.42mm. Eye reddish brown. Antennae
shorter than body-length, length of antennomeres 1–4: 0.76mm, 0.74mm, 0.78mm,
0.86mm. Pronotum 1.8 times wider than length (W/L=0.87/0.48), black with yellow
marking as typical for the genus. Metanotum almost black, with silvery
pubescence, posterior margin sinuate. Male fore femur (Image 45d & e)
moderately incrassate, ratio of length and width 4.1 (0.99/0.24), with three
black tuft of hairs, basal part with elongated patch of stiff sub-erect hairs,
followed by one thin almost pointed patch of hairs and distally with one
elongated patch of black, short hairs. Fore tibia modified with outer margin
concave and inner margin with a prominent ridge near middle, covered with short
dense pilosity. Fore tarsus with first segment shorter than second segment;
claws sharply bent, curved. Fore leg (Image 45f) of female relatively slender,
dorsally with a black stripe, ratio of length and width 5.9 (1.18/0.20), inner
margin of fore femora with densely arranged black hairs and with golden hairs
distributed throughout. Mid leg longer than the hind leg. Mid and hind femur,
tibia, tarsus with scattered spines.Abdominal tergite II–IV entirely black,
V–VIII black with a median yellow spot. Meso- and metaacetabula with silverish,
shining, frosted areas, sterna II–VI combined; sternite VII little wider and
longer than the rest.
Genitalia:
Abdominal sternum VIII 1.4 times as long as wide (L/W=0.69/0.48), elongated,
with silvery pubescence. Pygophore and proctiger as in Image 46m & n. Pygophore oval-shaped, basally more
widened, with densely arranged long hairs and modified distally into an
elongated narrow process. Proctiger semi-circular in shape, hairy below. The
lateral arms of proctiger bifurcated at middle forming two slender arms, tip of
these two bifurcations end bluntly. In dorsal view, it is widened anteriorly,
and then gradually narrowed towards its posterior end (Image 46o & p).
Female sternum VII 1.28 times as long as wide (L/W=0.73/0.57), basally broad,
traphaezoid, hairy below. Ovipositors (Image 45j) are long with densely
arranged spines on it. Proctiger of female round shaped, ends bluntly.
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: West Bengal.
Habitat:
Stagnant
pools covered with algae and stream, river.
Remarks:
Amemboa
bifurcata Basu,
Subramanian and Polhemus, 2014 is closely related to A. dentata Polhemus
and Andersen, 1984, first described from Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
Genus
Onychotrechus Kirkaldy, 1903
Diagnosis:
Body small,
elongated. Head typically with amedian, longitudinal yellowish brown stripe.
Pronotum black with a median and two sub-lateral stripes. Venter pale
yellowish. Head projected forwards with prominent antenniferous tubercles. Eyes
large, globular. Antennae longer than body, first segment of antenna longer
than the second with two closely set dark spine-like hairs in apical third and
usually another two spine-like hairs beyond that. Pronotal lobe reduced in
apterous forms, but macropterous forms having distinct humeri. Fore femora
usually slender, may or may not be modified apically in male. Mid and hind legs
sub-equal in length. First tarsal segment shorter than the second, with ventral
row of spine-like hairs. Males with abdominal venter about one-fifth of body
length and more or less distinctly grooved medially. Male genital segments
small. Claspers relatively small, club-shaped with short setae. Endosomal
sclerite well-developed with long lateral sclerite. Female sternum VII partly
exposed ventrally.
Onychotrechus dooarsicus Subramanian, Basu and Zettel, 2014: Image
47. a–e, Image 48. f–m and Image 49. n–s
Material
examined: Regn.no.3131/H15, 2 males, 1 female,
19.iv.2013, Buxa Jhora near Buxa Fort, Buxa Tiger Reserve, Jalpaiguri District,
West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of
India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length (from head tip to the tip of proctiger) of apterous male 3.27–3.30mm,
maximum width of body across mesoacetabula 1.12–1.07mm. Body length of apterous
female 4.4mm, maximum body width across mesoacetabula 1.38mm.
Description:
Body dorsally black with yellow markings. Head with a median yellow
longitudinal stripe, which ends in a blunt arrow head (Image 47c), head length
0.64mm, width 0.41mm. Interocular width two times as large as eye width
(0.45:0.22). Eye length 0.44mm. Length of antennal segments 1–4: 0.96mm,
0.94mm, 0.89mm, 1.38mm, first antennomere with three spines distally, of which
two spines are long, third one small and arising near base of first
spine.Pronotum with two broad yellow sub-lateral stripes, a thin median yellow
stripe, and two yellow curved lateral stripes.Pronotum length 0.53mm, width
0.79mm. Meso and metanotum with two thin lateral stripes, two broad sub-lateral
stripes and an indistinct short yellow median line. Mesosternum (Image 48f)
modified, with narrow median groove slightly widened posteriorly, depression
with black, scattered setae directed to its centre. Forefemur (Image 48h)
slender, widened basally, but almost evenly tapering apically, length of
forefemur 1.17mm, width 0.25, apically with a few setae and with short dark
stiff hairs distributed throughout, yellow with one broad dark band on dorsal
side and one very slender dark brown band on extensor side. Foretibia (Image
48i) strongly curved, basally with patch of few short hairs on flexor side, a
soft spinous structure protruded outwards from base of curvature; apical region
with two prominent black spines that diverge from almost touching bases
(forming a ‘V’), and with four black spines and a row of short hairs towards
extensor side. Mid and hind femora slender, both with distinct rows of short
spines arranged equidistantly. Fore claws (Image 48k) sharply bent and slightly
longer than mid and hind claws. Abdominal tergites completely black (Image 47d
and Image 48l). Abdomen (Image 48l & m) short, only about one-third of body
length. Length of abdominal sternites 1.01mm, width 0.90mm. Sterna II–VI
visible as very narrow curved strips, sternum VII (Image 49p) much longer.
Genitalia: Pygophore sub-oval, little elongated,
widened basally. Proctiger (Image 49r) short, widened distally, gradually
tapering towards basal part, with long setae and medially with numerous
punctures. Endosomal sclerites as in Image 49s. Paramere (Image 49t) short,
simple and with a distinct median notch. Abdominal tergites of female (Image
49o) elongated, hairy. Abdominal sterna II–VI with median groove, sternum VII
(Image 49p) broad, trapezoid, concave towards end, partly concealing genitalia.
Proctiger acuminated.
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: West Bengal.
Habitat:
Shallow
zones between rocks, splashed by slow-flowing streams.
Remarks:
Onychotrechus
dooarsicus
Subramanian, Basu & Zettel, 2014 is a close relative to Onychotrechus
jaechi recently described from Bhutan. They share some common
characteristics such as males of both species have almost identical pro-, meso-
and metasternal markings, basally incrassate fore femora, similar mesosternal modifications
and short abdominal segments.
Genus Gerris Fabricius, 1794
Diagnosis:
Body small
or medium in size, length varies from 5.0–15mm. Wing dimorphic species. Head
elongated with prominent markings. Antennae are short and shorter than half of
body-length, first antennal segment without spinous hairs, distinctly shorter
than the second and third segment together. Fore femora usually pale and with
longitudinal dark stripes, thickened. Metasternal scent orifice slit-shaped and
tuberculated. Hind femora sub-equal or shorter than mid tibia. Posterior
corners of abdominal connexiva triangular and pointed, but not spinous, except
in a few females. Phallotheca of male well-sclerotised ventrally.
Gerris (Gerris) nepalensis Distant, 1910: Image 50. a–i
Material
examined: Regn.no.
3186/H15, 1 male, 2 females, 4 nymphs, 17.iii.2012, Kalipur wetland, within
Gorumara National Park, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu;
1 male, 17.iv.2013, Sikhiajhora, Alipurduar District, West Bengal, India, coll.
S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size:
Apterous males 7.0–7.8mm. Macropterous males 8.0–8.5mm. Apterous females
8.6–9.0mm. Macropterous females 9.3–10.0mm (Andersen and Chen 1993).
Description:
Dorsally generally black. Head black with a curved yellow marking towards its
posterior margin. Head length 1.02mm and width 0.56mm. Interocular width 1.9
times wider than eye width (I.W./E.W.=0.68/0.35). Head length 1.8 times as long
as eye length (H.L./E.L.=1.02/0.57). Antennae black. First antennal segment
longer than the second, third, and fourth segment. The length of antennal
segment, 1–4: 1.25mm, 0.67mm, 0.64mm, 0.92mm. Rostrum 1.91mm in length.
Pronotum blackish with sublateral spots of silverfish pubescence, anterior part
of pronotum without sub-marginal pale stripes. Pronotum 1.5 times longer than
wide (L/W=1.13/0.75). Abdominal tergites length 3.8mm and width 1.27mm. Fore
femora 2.01mm in length, stout. Mid and hind femora with several spines. Mid
tibia longer than fore and hind tibia. Connexival spines of males distinctly
pointed, but, short mainly in apterous forms.
Genitalia:
Abdominal segment VIII 1.7 times as long as wide (L/W=0.98/0.55). Ventrally,
segment VIII with a pair of impression, furnished with silvery hairs. Endosomal
sclerites in dorsal view as in Image 50i.
Global
distribution: Nepal,
China, Japan, Korea (Miyamoto and Lee, 1963), and East of Russia (Kanyukova,
1982).
Distribution
in India: Arunachal
Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Slow-flowing
streams, stagnant water bodies with good vegetation.
Remarks:
This species
is most frequently encountered in apterous forms.
Gerris (Macrogerris) gracilicornis (Horvath, 1879): Image 51. a–i
1879. Limnotrechus
gracilicornis Horvath, Termeszetrajzi Füzetek, III: CIX.
1903. Gerris
selma Kirkaldy, Entomologist, 36: 181.
1910b. Gerris
lepcha Distant, Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 5 (8): 140.
1975. Gerris
(Gerriselloides) gracilicornis (Horvath): Andersen, Entomologica
Scandinavica Supplements, 7: 22.
Material
examined: Regn.no.
3148/H15, 2males, 2females, 4 nymphs, 3.x.2012, jhora within Neora Valley
National Park, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet
preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size:
Macropterous male attains a length of 13mm and brachypterous males attain a
length of 12.5–12.7 mm. Macropterous females body length 11.7mm and in
brachypterous female, body length 11.5mm.
Description:
First antennal segment nearly half in length than the remaining three segments.
Small brownish yellow spots infront of each eye. Anterior lobe of pronotum
distinct, a mid longitudinal carina present on pronotum, anterior margin of
pronotum with a pair of prominences. Mesothorax with short, erect pubescence
laterally. Abdominal sterna of male usually with a distinct longitudinal keel.
Genitalia:
Abdominal segment VIII with paired, oval impressions usually furnished with
silvery hairs ventrally. Dorsal plate of endosomal sclerite with sub-parallel
sides, almost slightly prolonged beyond the dorsal sclerites (Image 51i). Hind
margin rounded. Distal recurved part of dorsal sclerite shovel-shaped and
widened. Ventral sclerites paired small, almost rudimentary. In female (Image
51g), connexival spines distinctly pointed, almost reaching posterior margin of
last abdominal segment.
Global
distribution: China,
Japan, East of Russia, Korea, Bhutan, and Taiwan.
Distribution
in India: Sikkim,
Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam.
Habitat:
High
altitudinal hill streams or stagnant pools within high mountainous forests.
Remarks:
This species
is mostly found in the high altitudinal area of northern India. They
encountered mostly in macropterous forms.
Genus Aquarius Schellenberg, 1800
Diagnosis:
Body large
in size, ranges from 10.4–26.5mm. Pronotum usually dark with median pale stripe
anteriorly. First antennal segment long, sub-equal to or longer than second and
third antennal segment together. Fore femora uniformly dark. Well-developed
connexival spines at abdominal end. Hind tibia being more than four times as
long as first hind tarsal segment. Male genital segment long. Pygophore large,
sub-ovate. Proctiger tapering with more or less pointed apex. Parameres small,
setose.
Aquarius adelaides (Dohrn): Image 52. a–f and Image 53. g–l
1903. Gerris
spinolae (Leth. and Serv.): Distant, Fauna of British India, 2: 180.
Material
examined: Regn.no.3179/H15,
1 male, 2 females, 17.iv.2013, Dima River, Damanpur Forest, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 8 males, 1 nymph, 16.ix.2011,
Ghoshpukur Dighi, Kamala bagan, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll.
S. Basu; 2 males, 3 nymphs, 17.iii.2012, pond near Rhino Camp, Gorumara National
Park, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 5 males, 7
females, 17.iv.2013, Sikhiajhora, Alipurduar District, West Bengal, India,
coll. S. Basu; 3 females, 1 nymph, 17.iii.2012, small jhora within Gorumara
National Park, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S Basu, in wet
preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: In
macropterous male, body length ranges from 11–12.5 mm, maximum body width
(across mesoacetabula) 2.5–3.0 mm. Body length of macropterous female 11.9–12.2
mm and maximum body width 2.8–4.0 mm.Brachypterous male attains a length of
10.5–10.7 mm, maximum body width 2.5–2.6 mm.
Description:
Dark brownish dorsally. Pronotal lobe with entire margin brownish yellow. Body
elongated with distinctly visible connexival spines. Antennae 6.25mm in length,
third segment much shorter than the second and a little shorter than the fourth
segment, first antennal segment nearly as long as remaining three segments
together. Pronotum with a distinct black carina on posterior lobe of pronotum.
Rostrum reaching the posterior margin of prosternum. Fore femora almost
straight and slightly constricted before apex, terminated by two distinct
spines. Mid femur ventrally with pilosity and numerous spines. Hind femora distinctly
longer than the body length. Metasternum slightly depressed posteriorly, with
slit-shaped scent orifice. Abdomen moderately slender.
Genital
segment: In male,
connexival spines stout and long, almost reaching abdominal end. However, in
female, the connexival spines are stout and surpass the abdominal end. Second
abdominal sternum long, whereas 3–7 sterna sub-equal in length, slightly
depressed. Posterior margin of seventh sternum deeply emarginated with a broad,
triangular impression in middle. Genital segment VIII sub-cylindrical with
prominent triangular tubercle ventrally. Pygophore large, paramere with setae
and conate. Dorsal plate of male endosomal sclerite (Image 53k) distinctly
widened, basal furcation of dorsal sclerite robust, lateral sclerite long and
slender. Ventral sclerite ‘V’-shaped. One ‘Y’-shaped long and two shorter
rod-like accessory sclerites present. Female genital segment VII (Image 53h)
long, ends acutely pointed. Female proctiger small, cone-shaped with pointed
apex.
Global
distribution: Australia,
Myanmar, China, Java, Malacca, Philippinesss, Sumatra, Thailand, and India.
Distribution
in India: Andhra
Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu,
Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Fresh water
habitats like fish ponds, lakes, temporary pools, and flooded paddy fields.
Remarks:
This species
is widely distributed. They can be collected from larger stagnant waterbodies.
This species is closely related to Aquarius paludum, but can be distinguished
by male genital segment with a very prominent triangular tubercle on ventral
surface and the structure of endosomal sclerite.
Genus Neogerris Matsumura
Diagnosis:
Body
elongated. Dorsally dark black, venter pale. Head typical with U-shaped yellow
band. Pronotum with yellow oval or round spot anteriorly, pronotal lobe dark
with yellow margins. Head directed forward. Eyes large, globular with two short
trichobothria. Antennae short and robust, first segment shorter than or
sub-equal to the second and third segment together, fourth little longer than
the third. In macropterous forms, pronotal lobe wider than long. Forewings with
two closed cells apically, without any distinct vein. Fore femur with
diversified ventral pubescence comprising of short, dense hairs and with long
bristles. Fore pretarsal claws well-developed, mid and hind claws totally
reduced. Abdomen moderately shortened in most species. Connexivum not
terminating in spine. Male genital segment slightly elongated than in female.
Male pygophore simple, sub-rectangular. Proctiger narrow. Claspers very small,
symmetrical, devoid of hairs. Female sternum VII with produced hind margin in
middle.
Neogerris parvulus (Stal, 1859): Image 54. a–h
1859. Gerris
parvula Stal, Zoology, 4: 265.
1934. Limnogonus
parvulus (Stal): Lundblad, Archiv für Hydrobiologie - Supplement, 12: 384.
1959. L.
(Limnogonellus) parvulus (Stal): Hugerford and Matsuda, Journal of the
Kansas Entomological Society, 32(1): 41.
1899. Gerris
tristan Kirkaldy, Revue d’Entomologie, 18: 88.
Material
examined: Regn.no.
3163/H15, 1 male, 16.ix.2011, Bhimbhar Dighi near Sayedabad Tea Garden,
Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 4 males, 5 females,
19.iv.2013, Bania River, Chilapata Forest, Alipurduar District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 2 females, 19.iii.2013, Buri Torsha River, Bish
Khutia, between South Khairabari and North Khairabari Reserve Forest,
Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 2 females,
19.iii.2013, Buri Torsha Riverside, South Khairabari Reserve Forest, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 1 female, 2 nymphs,
17.iv.2013, Dima River, Damanpur Forest, Buxa Tiger Reserve, Alipurduar
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2 males, 2 females, 16.ix.2011,
Ghoshpukur Dighi, Kamala Bagan, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll.
S. Basu; 1 male, 6.iii.2011, Jayanti Forest Bungalow, Alipurduar District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 1 female, 6.iii.2011, Jayanti River, Alipurduar
District, West Bengal, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 2 females, 4.x.2013, jhora near
Kiranchandra Tea Garden, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, coll. S. Basu; 5
males, 6 females, 17.iii.2013, Kalikhola, between Gorumara and Chapramari
Forest, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 8 males, 5
females, 17.iii.2012, Kalipur Wetland within Gorumara National Park, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 6 males, 8 females, 4.x.2013,
Shivmandir, Siliguri, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, coll. S. Basu; 10
males, 14 females, 17.iv.2013, Sikhiajhora, Alipurduar District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S. Basu; 5 males, 4 females, 5nymphs, 19.iii.2012, Teesta Canal,
near Odlabari, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, coll. S. Basu; 3 males, 2
females, 12.iii.2011, wetland beside Gajaldoba Teesta Barrage, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 3 nymphs, 17.iii.2012,
wetland within Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size:
Macropterous male body length 4.4–5.06 mm. Apterous males attain a length
3.6–4.6 mm. Macropterous female attains a length of 5.4–7.5 mm and apterous
female attains a length of 4.3–5.04 mm.
Description:
Body black dorsally. Head with a U-shaped brownish yellow band. Pronotum
anteriorly with large, roundish or rectangular brownish yellow spot. Head
length 0.67mm and width (excluding eyes) 0.49mm. Length of antennal segment
1–4: 0.98mm, 0.45mm, 0.53mm, 0.57mm. Eye length 0.45mm and width 0.27mm.
Interocular width 0.56mm. Pronotal lobe in apterous forms, usually covering
most of the mesonotum, length of pronotum 0.47mm and width 0.84mm. Fore femora
stout, 1.34mm in length and with greatest width, 0.25mm about middle. Male mid
and hind femora with several short spines distributed throughout. Thoracic
venter dilated anteriorly in lateral view. Abdomen length 1.94mm and width
0.79mm. Abdominal sternum VII equal to or little shorter than sternum V and VI
together. Abdominal segments apically prolonged.
Genitalia:
Male genital segment 0.71mm in length and 0.35mm in width, posterior margin
broadly concave. Pygophore more or less rectangular in shape (Image 54g).
Proctiger (Image 54h) hairy below. Dorsal sclerites usually with hook-shaped
apices. Female genital segment VII a little longer than sternum V and VI,
posterior margin distinctly produced.
Global
distribution: India,
Myanmar, Oman, Muscat, Iran, Thailand, Vietnam, Malay Peninsula, China, Taiwan,
Amoy, Java, Ryukyu Island, Philippiness, Solomon Island, and New Guinea.
Distribution
in India: Arunachal
Pradesh, Assam, Kerala, Odisha, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and
West Bengal.
Habitat:
Slow-flowing
streams, river beds, pools, ponds, and lakes.
Remarks:
This is a
widespread species. This species is sometimes attracted to light and can be
caught easily by light traps.
Genus Limnogonus Stal
Diagnosis:
Adults
usually dimorphic with apterous and macropterous forms. Dorsally dark black,
pronotal lobe with pale, median, longitudinal stripe throughout and pale
sub-marginal stripes that continue anteriorly. Head typically with a pair of
yellow sub-lateral stripes. Eyes large, globular with two short trichobothria.
Antenna long and slender, distinctly shorter than body length, first antennal
segment longest, distinctly shorter than the rests together. Pronotum fully
prolonged covering mesonotum in apterous forms. Prosternum with distinct median
pit. Forewings with two closed cells apically and without venation. Fore femora
of male moderately thickened, uniform ventral pubescence with setae. Fore
tarsus much shorter than the second segment. In macropetrous forms, fore wings
surpassing abdominal end in both sexes. Male abdomen moderately shortened; the
connexival end usually obtuse. Male genital segment simple, posterior margin of
eighth segment concave in middle. Female abdomen relatively longer than in
male. Posterior margin of female seventh segment straight or produced in
middle.
Limnogonus (Limnogonus) fossarum fossarum (Fabricius, 1775): Image 55. a–i
1775. Cimex
fossarum Fabricius, Systema Entomologiae, 727.
1794. Gerris
fossarum Fabricius, Entomologia systematica emendatan et aucta, IV:
188.
1868. Limnogonus
fossarum Stal, Kongliga Svenska vetenskaps-akademiens
handlingar, 7: 133.
Material
examined: Regn.no.3188/H15,
5 males, 5 females, 1 nymph, 17.iv.2013, Sikhiajhora, Alipurduar District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 1 female, 19.iii.2011, Buri Torsha River,
Bish Khutia, border between South Khairabari and North Khairabari Rerserve
Forest, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 female,
16.ix.2011, Ghoshpukur Dighi, Kamala Bagan, Darjeeling District, West Bengal,
coll. S. Basu; 5 males, 3 females, 14 nymphs, 17.iii.2012, Kalipur Wetland
within Gorumara National Park, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll.
S. Basu; 1 male, 1 female, 23.ix.2012, pond near Domohoni, Jalpaiguri District,
West Bengal, India, coll. M. Chakrabarty; 1 female, 19.iv.2013, Poro River,
Poro Beat, Chilapata Forest Range, Alipurduar District, West Bengal, India,
coll. S. Basu; 1 female, 19.iii.2012, Teesta Canal, near Odlabari, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 4 males, 13 nymphs, 13.iii.2011, wetland
beside Gajaldoba Teesta Barrage, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, coll. S.
Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size:
Apterous male body length 7.5–8.5mm, macropterous males may attain a length of
8.0–10.3mm. Apterous females reach a length upto 7.9–9.2 mm and body length of
macropterous females range from 8.0–11.0 mm.
Description:
Dorsally black in colour with yellowish markings. Submarginal stripe of
pronotal lobe usually separated from the lateral stripes on the anterior
pronotum, reaching upto the metanotum. Mesopleural stripe slender and sinuate.
Mesosternum of male with a large, elongate patch of short, golden hairs
posteriorly. Head 1.6–1.7 mm in width across eyes. Fourth antennal segment
longer than third. Fore femora with two dark stripes dorsally, slender, with
greatest width across middle. Mid femur with scattered hairs ventrally.
Abdominal venter a little more than one-fourth of body length, laterally
moderately dilated. Abominal sternites apically moderately prolonged. In
female, conexivum more or less obliquely raised.
Genitalia:
Abdominal segment VIII in male with ventral posterior margin broadly concaves
and more or less sinuates at middle. Pygophore broad (Image 55g). Female
sternum VII subequal to sternum V and VI.
Global
distribution: Myanmar,
India, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, China, Macao, Hong Kong, Hainan, Amoy,
Singapore, Sumatra, Philippines, Taiwan, and Borneo.
Distribution
in India: Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Goa,
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Pondicherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and West
Bengal.
Habitat:
Lakes,
ponds, water tanks, paddy fields, ditches, hot-springs, brackish water pools.
Remarks:
This species
is widespread. They are predatory in nature and are found to predate on leaf
hoppers, plant hoppers, and moths in paddy fields.
Limnogonus (Limnogonus) nitidus (Mayr): Image 56.A–j
1865. Hydrometra
nitida Mayr, Verhandlungen der Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien,
15: 443.
1903. Gerris
nitida (Mayr): Distant, Fauna of British India, 2: 178.
Material
examined: Regn.no.
4714/H15, 2 males, 4.x.2013, jhora beside Kiranchandra Tea Garden, Darjeeling
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 1 female, 13.ix.2011,
Rabijhora, Teesta River, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S.
Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Male
body length 5.5–6.2 mm and females attain a length of 6.0–6.5mm.
Description:
Maximum body width of male across mesoacetabula 1.2mm. Head length 0.65mm, head
width 0.53mm. Eye length 0.49mm and width 0.24mm. Interocular width (0.705mm)
is 1.3 times longer than the head width. Pronotum 2.3 times wider than long
(W/L=0.826/0.356). Anterior pronotal lobe with two small yellow markings. In macropterous
male, humeral width 1.14mm, first antennal segment is longer than second,
fourth antennal segment is longest than rest. Length of antennomeres 1–4:
1.08mm, 0.76mm, 0.87mm, 1.24mm. Length of abdomen 2.32mm and width 0.83mm. Fore
femur not modified, fore tarsae two-segmented, length of fore femur 1.47mm and
width 0.23mm. Connexival spines are prominent in females than in males.
Genitalia:
Length of male genital segment 0.534mm and width 0.46mm. Genital segment is
elongated. Endosomal sclerites are well-sclerotised. Pygophore is broad, oval
as in Image 56J.
Global
distribution: Indonesia,
Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India and
Vietnam.
Distribution
in India: Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala,
Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh,
Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Sikkim.
Habitat:
Temporary
pools, paddy fields, ponds, and streams.
Remarks:
They are
mostly found as winged individuals and are reported as the predators of the
brown plant hopper and serves as bio-control agents.
Genus Rhagadotarsus Breddin
Diagnosis:
Body black
dorsally. Head along eyes reddish. Pronotum yellow to orange yellow at middle.
Head with an obscure median longitudinal sulcus or sometimes without it;
posterior margin of head concave. Antennae slender, first segment much longer
than second, second shorter than the third, and fourth segment about as long as
third or longer. Pronotum very short, basal margin concave laterally rounded.
Metasternum slightly depressed anteriorly, posterior margin concave. Fore femur
slender, without any modification in both sexes, apically slightly thickened.
Abdomen long, nearly straightly narrowed posteriorly. Connexivum strongly
reflexed. Male seventh sternite longer than sixth sternite, with a deep
depression. Eighth segment cylindrical, strongly longitudinally depressed
ventrally. Pygophore with apical margin rounded. Female genital segment
cylindrical.
Rhagadotarsus (Rhagadotarsus) kraepelini Breddin 1905: Image 57. a–i
Material
examined: Regn.no.
3175/H15, 1 male, 3 females, 16.ix.2011, canal within Gava Ganga and Kamala Tea
Garden, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2 males,
17.iv.2013, Sikhiajhora, Alipurduar District, West Bengal, India, coll. S.
Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: In
apterous male body length varies from 3.5–4.2mm and in female body length
ranges from 3.94–4.31mm. Maximum body width (across meso-acetabula) of male
1.19mm and in female 1.22mm.
Description:
Body colour mainly black, heavily marked pruinose silvery grey. Coxa,
trochanter of all legs yellowish brown. Head length 0.49mm and width (including
eyes) 0.86mm. First antennal segment is long, the length of the segments 1–4:
0.45mm, 0.22mm, 0.35mm, 0.37mm, antennal segments clothed with short recumbent
setae. Rostrum reaching upto the fore coxa. Interocular width (0.52mm) 2.82
times wider than eye width (0.18mm). Eyes dark brown, length 0.32mm. Pronotum 6
times wider than length.Length of mesonotum 0.94mm and width 1.02mm. Metanotum
fused with first abdominal tergite. Abdominal tergites becoming narrow
posteriorly, length 2.38mm, width 0.82mm. Fore femur with two parallel rows of
ventrally directed setae. Claws sharp and long. Mid femur (3.41mm) 1.2 times
longer than the hind femur (2.85mm).
Genitalia: Male genital segment elongated, modified;
deeply excavate basally, depression deeper and hair free medially. Connexiva
broad. Endosoma as in Image 57i. Proctiger (Image 57g) narrow and elongated.
Pygophore as in Image 57h. Female genital segment with a median ridge, with a
serrated ovipositor in seventh segment (Image 57f).
Global
distribution: Malaysia,
Singapore, Java, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Myanmar,
Taiwan, and India.
Distribution
in India: Kerala,
Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, and
Pondicherry.
Habitat:
Ponds,
slower reaches of rivers, tidal mangrove streams, pools, etc.
Remarks:
The food
habits of Rhagadotarsus are almost same as most gerrids — any insects
trapped in the surface film of water. They are feeble swimmers.
Genus Metrocoris Mayr, 1865
Diagnosis:
Body
colouration yellowish to light brown, with black markings on dorsum. A
longitudinal marking on the interocular space of head. Males are usually larger
than the females. Body dorsally sub-triangular, dorso-ventrally flattened,
covered with short dine sparse black hairs. Head blunt, projecting infront of
eyes.Pronotum of macropterous forms enlarged. Propleura clothed with dark
bristle-like hairs. Metasternum reduced to small, triangular sclerite.
Abdominal tergites with some golden pubescence. Male abdominal sternum VIII
longer, broadly concave. Female abdominal sternum VII strongly developed and
apically modified. Male fore femur may be incrassate or moderately incrassate
or sometimes slender, with or without indentations, constrictions and teeth.
Female fore femur slender, without any modification. Male genital segment
elongated and large. Parameres usually large and sometimes visible from outside
in some species.
Metrocoris anderseni Chen and Nieser, 1993: Image 58. a–f
Material
examined: Regn.no. 2974/H15,
1 male, 15.iii.2012, Rabijhora, Teesta River, Darjeeling District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of apterous male 7.5–7.6 mm and width 3.35mm. Apterous female attains a
length of 5.2mm and width 3.1mm.
Description:
Interocular dark mark arrow-head shaped, bifid posteriorly. Head, pronotum with
distinct markings. Antennae brown with the first segment yellowish basally.
Abdomen blackish dorsally. Venter yellowish. Head 1.89mm in width. Interocular
width 0.75mm. Pronotum bulbous in male, distinctly broader than head, width of
pronotum 1.96mm. Male fore femur (Image 58c & d) strongly incrassate,
apical third constricted but without ventral indentation, a bipartite
sub-apical tooth. Inner margin of fore tibia with a sharp sub basal tooth-like
elevation. Female fore femur slender. Mid femur longer than hind femur.
Genitalia:
Male genital segment VIII (Image 58e & f) long, length 1.62mm and width
1.16mm. Pygophore prolonged ventrally, constricted before apex. Proctiger long
and narrow. Paramere large and hook-like, extending beyond genital segments
laterally and with blunt apex. Endosomal sclerite well-developed. Dorsal
sclerite long and curved apically. Female genital segment VII large, apical
half broadly lobed, and with a median notch, strongly curved upward.
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: Uttar
Pradesh and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Hill
streams.
Remarks:
This species
is a new record to West Bengal. They are closely related to Metrocoris
falcatus Chen and Nieser and can be distinguished by its genital
structures.
Metrocoris murtiensis Basu, Polhemus and Subramanian, 2016: Image 59. a–g and Image 60. h–p
Material
examined: Regn.no.
4696/H15, 2 males, 7 females, 7 nymphs, 17.iii.2012, Gorumara National Park,
continuation of Murti River, small pool, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S. Basu; 5 males, 5 females, 13 nymphs, 18.iii.2012, forested pool
infront of Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of apterous male 4.9mm and body width across mesoacetabula 2.29mm.
Apterous female attains a length of 4.1mm and body width across acetabula
2.18mm.
Description:
Dorsal body coloration yellowish to orange with dorsal black markings.
Interocular dark mark on head arrow-shaped, bifid posteriorly, posterior margin
connected with dark margin of eye on each side. Head width subequal to pronotum
width. Head length 0.68mm, width 1.46mm. Eyes 2.3 times longer than broad,
length 0.72mm, width 0.31mm. Interocular width 0.56mm. Posterior half of eyes
covering propleura by 0.32mm. Length of antennal segments 1–4: 2.09mm, 0.80mm,
0.57mm, 0.49mm, second segment slightly longer than third. Rostrum reaching
upto forecoxa, length 1.32mm. Pronotum bulbous, 2.6 times broader than long.
Pronotum length 0.54mm, width 1.44mm. Meso-and metanota 1.2 times broader than
long. Male fore femur strongly incrassate, stout, broad, with dorsally broad
black median elongated marking, in some individuals the markings extending
attaching to the rectangular markings distally, marked with subapical
indentation, bearing a more or less sharp subapical tooth followed by a
bidentate tooth near distal margin, visible in both dorsal and ventral view.
Fore femur hairy near distal margin, ratio of length/width 3.5
(length/width=2.05/0.58). Fore tibia modified, with a strong curvature basally,
bearinga small pointed tooth near distal margin. Fore trochanter with three
long setae. Fore, middle, and hind tibiae and tarsi with dark pilosity. Abdomen
length including genital segments 1.91mm (along midline). Genital segment 1.1
times longer than broad, covered with dense short hairs anteriorly and long
hairs posteriorly.
Genitalia:
Segment VIII large and with dense pilosity, bearing two broad black
semi-circular markings separated by distinct gap, almost covering genital
segment. Length of genital segment VIII 0.92mm. Pygophore (Imaeg 60n)
prolonged, hairy. Proctiger prolonged, truncated distally. Parameres (Image
60p) projecting slightly outward from abdominal segment VIII ventrally, large,
stout, curved distinctly, with an almost acute apex and a small hook, twisted
medially, then broadened and finally tapering slightly with uniform thickness
towards the apex. Female abdominal sternum VII (Image 60k) length 0.66mm, width
0.63mm, moderately large, broad, and triangular with up-folded rectangular median
lobe entirely covering rounded genital segments, laterally convex, hairy
dorsally.
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: West Bengal.
Habitat:
Small
forested pools or stagnant waterbodies.
Remarks:
This species
is prevalently found in Gorumara National Park and Chapramanri Wildlife
Sanctuary.
Metrocoris lavitra Basu, Polhemus, Subramanian & Saha,
2016: Image 61. a–f and Image 62.g–n
Material
examined: Regn.no.
4622/H15, 3 males, 21 females, 19.iv.2013, Chilapata Forest, Bania River, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 10.iii.2011, Chapramari
Wildlife Sanctuary, stream infront of Chapramari Railway Gate, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 5 males, 7 females, 19.iv.2013,
Chaitanyajhora, stream flowing through Rajabhatkhawa Forest, Buxa Tiger Reserve
Range, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet
preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of male 6.3mm, width across mesoacetabula 3.16mm.Body length of female
5.49mm, width across mesoacetabula 2.69mm.
Description:
Body colour varying from dark orange to yellowish, with scattered black
markings. Interocular dark mark black, triangular, bluntly pointed
posteriorly.Head length 0.67mm, width 1.61mm. Posterior eye width 1.4 times
width of eye. Eye length 0.8mm. Posterior half of eye covering almost half of
propleuron. Interocular eye width 0.49mm. Length of antennal segments 1–4:
2.48mm, 0.89mm, 1.16mm, 0.86mm. Rostrum length 1.72mm, reaching fore
trochanter. Pronotum 3.3 times as broad as long (width 1.52mm, length 0.45mm).
Pronotum slightly bulbous. Meso- and metanota slightly broader than long (width
2.78mm, length 2.53mm). Fore femur slender, ratio of length/width 6.87, with
slight curvature marked with small, prominent apical tooth and long hair fringe
distally, two long setae basally, inner margin with a row of short hairs. Inner
surface of tibia hairy, without indentation but with several small spines
arranged equidistantly from base to apex.
Genitalia:
Male abdominal tergite VIII subquadrate, length 0.61mm, width 0.63mm,
densely covered with black and golden short stiff hairs. Pygophore broader than
long. Proctiger elongated, convex medially on both sides, with small, angular
lateral lobes, clothed with dense hairs. Parameres symmetrical, projecting
prominently from genital segment, sickle-shaped, outer margin sinuate, apex
expanded to form small head, tip rounded. Female sternumV with medially
invaginated apical margin, sternites II–IV with dense thick hairs medially and
the density reduced laterally towards the margin. Sternum VII elongated,
bilobed, laterally constricted basally, fringed with golden short hairs and
with concave apical margin.
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: West Bengal.
Habitat:
Slow-flowing
streams, rivers, and forested pools.
Remarks:
This species
does not belong to any other group of Metrocoris group and forms Metrocoris
lavitra group.
Metrocoris dinendrai Basu, Polhemus & Subramanian, 2016:
Image 63. a–f
Material
examined: Regn.no.
4775/H15, 2 males, 1 female, 31 nymphs, 3.x.2012, roadside cascades within
Neora Valley National Park, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S.
Basu; 2 males, 2 females, 5 nymphs, 3.x.2012, a stream on the way to Chengey
Falls, near Lava, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 4
males, 2 females, 1 nymph, 1.x.2013, stream near Gorubathan, Darjeeling
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey
of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length 5.42mm, maximum width across mesoacetabula 2.53mm.
Description:
Dorsal body coloration yellowish to orange with dorsal black
markings.Interocular dark mark rectangular, bifid posteriorly, anterior margin
not connected with dark mark of postclypeus. Head width 1.36mm, length 0.73mm.
Interocular region wider than eye, widths 0.61mm and 0.25mm, respectively.
Length of antennal segments 1–4: 2.29mm, 0.97mm, 0.88mm, 0.65mm, first segment
longer than combined lengths of rests. Fore femur slender and slightly curved
at middle, ratio of length/width approximately 6.5, ventral surface with small
constriction near middle, without indentation or tooth, with short dense hair
fringe ventrally near apex, inner margin with rows of short hairs. Inner margin
of fore tibia not modified, bearing rows of short hairs.
Genitalia:
Male abdominal sternite VIII elongate, sub-oval, length 1.27mm, width
0.86mm, densely clothed with fringe of golden hairs. Posterior margin of abdominal
tergite VIII straight. Pygophore elongate, heavily setiferous, apex truncate.
Proctiger moderately elongate, lateral margins slightly convex, isolating
angular basal lobes, apex broadly rounded, posterior margin with dense hair
fringe. Parameres symmetrical, strongly curved near midpoint, apical section
expanded to small head with outer margin concave, apex blunt, inner and outer
margins with long distinct setae, several whitish dots distributed throughout.
Female abdominal sternum VII semi-circular, length 0.30mm, width 1.07mm,
slightly constricted laterally, clothed with short golden pubescence.
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: West Bengal
and Sikkim.
Habitat:
Waterfalls,
cascades, and streams.
Remarks:
This species
belongs to Metrocoris compar group.
Metrocoris deceptor Basu, Polhemus and Subramanian, 2016:
Image 64. a–k
Material
examined: Regn.no.
4644/H15, 24 males, 16 females, 23.iii.2013, Rishi River, Rishikhola,
Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 female, 7 nymphs,
23.iii.2013, stagnant pool beside Rishi River, Rishikhola, Darjeeling District,
West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 5 males, 4 females, 1 nymph, 22.iii.2013,
Darjeeling District, Teesta River, Chitre Bridge, West Bengal, India, coll. S.
Basu; 3 males, 4 females, 3 nymphs, 21.iii.2013, Darjeeling District,
Manjukhola, Phuguri Tea Estate, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2 males, 4
females, 11 nymphs, 20.iii.2013, Darjeeling District, falls near Bunkulung,
West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 3 males, 5 females, 4.v.2013, Darjeeling
District, Srikhola, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological
Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Male
body length 6.10–6.90 mm, maximum body width 2.64–3.0 mm. Female body length
5.30–6.72 mm, maximum body width 3.27–3.40 mm.
Description:
Dorsally body yellowish orange with distinct black markings. Interocular
area with broad arrow shaped marking medially. Head length of male 0.74mm and
width 1.54mm.Pronotum wider than long, length 0.553mm and width 1.59mm. Fore
femur strongly incrassate, ratio length/width=3.22(2.68mm/0.83mm), constricted
in apical third, with bipartite apical tooth, without any ventral indentation.
Fore femora of female slender, with long stout hairs at basal half. Length of
abdomen 2.87mm and width 1.62mm, abdominal tergites black with dense golden
pubescences.
Genitalia:
Male genital segment VIII elongated, large, rectangular in dorsal view, length
1.45mm and width 1.04mm. Dorsally pygophore prolonged and sub apically
constricted, with straight apical margin. Proctiger long distally narrowed.
Paramere long, hook shaped, pointed apically. Female genital segment VII with
large medial lobe, with longitudinal ridge laterally from anterior end of hind
margin and with small wing shaped lobes, medial lobe sub-trapezoidal, with
distinctly notched posterior margin.
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: West Bengal
and Sikkim.
Habitat:
Hill
Streams.
Remarks:
This species
is closely related to Metrocoris quynhi Tran and Zettel.
Metrocoris darjeelingensis Basu, Polhemus and Subramanian, 2016:
Image 65. a–l
Material
examined: Regn.no.4652/H15,
2 males, 1 female, 14 nymphs, 3.x.2012, cascades within Neora Valley National
Park, Darjeeling District, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological
Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of male ranges from 5.04–5.2 mm, body width across mesoacetabula
2.43–2.45 mm. Body length of female ranges from 4.54–4.62mm, body width across
acetabula 2.49–2.53 mm.
Description:
Dorsal body coloration yellowish to orange with distinct black markings.
Interocular dark mark on head rectangular, bifid posteriorly, posterior margin
connected with dark margin of eye on each side. Head length 0.64mm, width
1.46mm. Length of antennal segments 1–4: 2.0mm, 0.77mm, 0.73mm, 0.61mm. Rostrum
reaching beyond forecoxa, length 1.61mm. Pronotum slightly bulbous, 2.8 times
broader than long. Pronotum length 0.51mm, width 1.45mm. Male fore femurslender
and hairy, dorsally black and ventrally with black median elongated marking,
basally yellow, without any modification, but with a slight invagination near
middle. Fore tibia without any modification. Fore femur of female slender,
elongated, without any modification. Female hind trochanter with a pointed apex
bearing a distinct, tapering tuft of long hairs.
Genitalia:
Segment VIII in male elongated and with dense pilosity, lateral margins
with few long setae.Pygophore prolonged, broad and setiferous. Proctiger
prolonged, truncated distally, with distinct dark long setae throughout.
Parameres not visible externally, large, stout, curved distinctly in the
middle, twisted medially, then broadened and finally tapering slightly towards
the truncated apex and the posterior end, with 2–3 setae near middle and several
white dots distributed up to apex. Endosoma poorly sclerotised, with dorsal
sclerite long, expanded horizontally and recurved proximally; lateral sclerite
apically bent a little upward, almost straight, ventral sclerite long, not
extending beyond the dorsal sclerite, concave sub-medially. Abdominal sternum
VII of female small, broad and rectangular, hairy, laterally little constricted
and with a smooth caudal margin entirely covering rounded genital segments,
laterally convex, hairy dorsally.
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: West Bengal,
Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh.
Habitat: Cascades, waterfalls, and hill streams.
Remarks:
This species
is recently collected form Arunachal Pradesh after West Bengal and Sikkim.
Genus Ventidius
Distant
Diagnosis:
Head
including eyes more than twice as wide as long in middle. Eye elongate,
covering lateral margin of pronotum. Antennae slender and long, first segment
always long, sparsely armed with black bristles. Rostrum short and transverse,
both anterior and posterior margins concave, lateral margins rounded. Metanotum
without median longitudinal sulcus. Fore leg relatively long and slender, femur
with or without a small tubercle on inner margin, sparsely clothed with long
hairs. Fore tibia with a narrow inner apical process defined by a depression on
both surfaces, tarsus with distinct claws and with arolium. Mid femur armed
with spinous bristles sparsely. Hind femora straightly narrowed apically,
sparsely clothed with spinous bristles. Abdominal ventrites anteriorly strongly
reduced. Seventh segment ventrally a little shorter or longer than all
preceeding sternites together. Parameres well-defined. Endosoma with definitive
dorsal plate turned black. Female seventh sternite concave on posterior margin.
Ventidius (Ventidius) sushmae Gupta Image 66. a–h
Material
examined: Regn.no.2952/H15,
1 male, 4 females, 5 nymphs, 8.iii.2011, Sikhiajhora, Alipurduar District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 6 males, 15 females, 17.iv.2013, Sikhiajhora,
Alipurduar District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation,
Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of male 2.5–3.5 mm, maximum width across mesoacetabula 1.8–1.9 mm;
female body length 2.65–3.7 mm, maximum width across mesoacetabula 1.9–2.1 mm.
Description:
Dorsally yellowish brown to greenish yellow with black markings. Head with a
triangular median spot and a pair of lateral black stripes, head including eyes
much wider than long. Eyes rounded on outer margin, covering lateral margin of
pronotum. Rostrum short, surpassing hind margin of presternum. Pronotum short,
lateral margin rounded and anterior and posterior margin concave. Metacetabulam
broad, with postero-lateral angle simple. Metasterum highly reduced and
represented by a small transverse sub-triangular plate. Fore leg (Image 66d)
relatively simple, long, not clothed with long hairs on inner margin.
Genitalia:
Male seventh sternite deeply concave apically. Genital segment VIII (Image 66e
& f) with posterior margin broadly rounded. Pygophore apically rounded.
Paramere well developed, symmetrical (Image 66h), broadly rounded apically.
Female seventh sternite (Image 66g) distinctly longer than all segments
together, posterior margin straight.
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: West Bengal.
Habitat:
Slow-flowing
streams.
Remarks:
This species
is widely distributed in northern parts of West Bengal and mostly found in
slow-flowing streams with rocky or sandy bottom substrates.
Genus Cylindrostethus Fieber
Diagnosis:
Large,
elongated, cylindrical water striders. Dorsally, body colouration back to brown
with yellowish stripes on pronotum and longitudinal band of silvery pubescence.
Head vertex with inner margins of eyes strongly convergent anteriorly. Eyes large,
protruding. Antennae thick and relatively short, first segment greater than
combined length of second and third segment. Antennal tubercles divergent
anteriorly. Rostrum reaching to the posterior margin of head, with a long third
rostral segment. Pronotum roughly hexagonal in shape, posterior margin
straight. Mesonotum long with rounded posterior margin. Metanotum with distinct
longitudinal sulcus along midline. Fore femora enlarged, apical margin notched,
bearing a small teeth at inner apical margin.Fore claws weakly sub-apical. Mid
leg longer than the hind leg. Abdominal tergite I shorter than II, with sinuate
anterior margin, tergite II–VI sub-equal in length. Connexival spines
well-developed. Male proctiger narrower apically, often with lateral projections.
Male parameres small, symmetrical.
Cylindrostethus productus (Spinola, 1840): Image 67. a–j
1840. Gerris
productus Spinola, Essai Sur less insectes hemipteres rhynchotes on
heteropteres, 64.
1910b. Janias
elegantulus Distant, Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 5 (8):
145.
Material
examined: Regn.no.3162/H15,
1 male, 2 females, from jhora infront of Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary,
Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, 18.iii.2012, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 1
female, 10.iii.2011, jhora infront of Chapramari Rail Gate, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 3 females, 9.xi.2013, Khunia more,
Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll.
M. Chakrabarty; 5 males, 6 females, 17.iii.2012, small jhora within Gorumara
National Park, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S Basu, in wet
preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of male ranges from 24.2–24.4mm, maximum body width across mesoacetabula
3.37mm. Female body length ranges from 24.5–24.6mm, maximum body width across
mesoacetabula 3.1mm.
Description:
Very large species, dark and elongate. Length of head 1.74mm and width 0.62mm,
black marked with a yellow line vertically. Interocular width 0.91mm. First antennal
segment distinctly longer than the rest, length of antennal segments 1–4:
3.46mm, 1.32mm, 0.82mm, 1.21mm. Eyes large, reddish brown. Length of pronotum
1.03mm and width 2.22mm. Meso and metasternum marked with a prominent vertical
keel meadially. Fore femora of male slender, long, marked with a small tooth
near tibial margin and with a row of short hairs on the inner margin, dorsal
surface of fore femur in both sexes lack spinules only on extreme distal end.
Connexival spines long. Abdomen length 13.33mm and width 2.29mm.
Genitalia:
Male genital segment length 3.34mm, width 1.1mm, elongated. Male proctiger
(Image 67l) distinctive, with a prolonged median lobe. Connexival spines not
exceeding tip of proctiger in male. Pygophore broad. Male paramere (Image 67),
not well-developed and small. Length of female genital segment 1.79mm and width
0.85mm.
Global
distribution: India,
Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Nepal.
Distribution
in India: Punjab,
Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka,
Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Streams,
waterfalls, and pools within jungles.
Remarks:
This species
can be easily recognized by their long conexival spines and are found
abundantly in the slow-flowing streams flowing across jungles or forests.
Family Hebridae Amyot & Serville, 1843
Body
small, inconspicuous, predacious plump-bodied bugs called ‘Velvet Water Bugs’.
The body is densely covered with velvety hydrofuge piles. The antennae are
four-segmented. The short legs are equally spaced and the tarsal claws are
apical. Many species of hebrids have prominent white markings on hemelytra. The
size ranges from 1.5–3mm.
Genus Timasius Distant, 1909
Diagnosis:
Body small,
ranges from 3.0–4.0mm. Colour dark brown to black. Head moderately declivous.
Eyes prominent, located near base of head. Antennae about half as long as body,
slender, four-segmented, antenniferous tubercle laterally produced, fourth
segment of antenna with a pre-apical sensory pit with modified hair. Pronotum
with anterior collar and a pair of more or less distinct sub-median carinae.
Longitudinal carinae of thoracic venter united on metasternum before the
tubercle carrying the scent orifice. Tarsal claw well-developed. Fore wings
with two closed cells apically. Male genitalia asymmetrical. Parameres small,
often with bristles.
Timasius sp.
Material
examined: Regn.no.
4709/H15, 2 nymphs, 14.iii.2012, jhora coming from Sinchal Lake, near Mongpu,
Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu.
Remarks: This species was identified only upto the
generic level as adults were not present in collection.
Family Hydrometridae Billberg, 1820
Body
extremely slender, size ranges from 7–20mm, stick-like bugs with thread-like
legs and a very elongated head which is as long as the thorax. Eyes located
midway on head. The adults are dimorphic in respect of wings.
Genus Hydrometra Latrielle
Diagnosis:
Body
elongated, stick-like, slender. Colouration varies from dark brown to light
brown. Head long, slender. Antecypeus is quite variable in shape, ranging from
conical to transverse and truncate. The rostrum long, slender, usually reaching
at least to the eyes. Three forms occur in this genus such as micropterous,
brachypterous, and macropterous.The first abdominal tergite distinct in most
species. Each abdominal sternite bear a pair of widely separated ventrally
directed trichobothria or setae. The sixth sternite often bears tufts of setae
near the posterior margin. The seventh sternite possesses variety of
modifications, with distinctive pattern of setiferation, spine-like setae
arranged in rows. The male genital segment VIII modified. The shape of female
genital segment alsovaries species wise.
Hydrometra greeni Kirkaldy, 1898: Image 68. a–h
Material
examined: Regn.no.3170/H15,
1 male, 19.iii.2013, Buri Torsha River, Bish Khutia, border between South
Khairabari and North Khairabari Reserve forest, Jalpaiguri District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 female, 16.ix.2011, canal within Gava Ganga and
Kamala Tea Garden, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S Basu; 2
females, 20.iii.2013, falls near Bunkulung, Darjeeling District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S. Basu; 2 males, 1 female, 6.iii.2011, Jayanti River, Jayanti
Forest Bungalow, Alipurduar District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1
male, 6.iii.2011, Jayanti River, Alipurduar District, West Bengal, India, coll.
S. Basu; 1 male, 2 females, 18.iii.2012, jhora infront of Chapramari Wildlife
Sanctuary, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 3 males,
10.iii.2011, jhora infront of Chapramari Rail Gate, Jalpaiguri District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 5 males, 3 females, 17.iii.2013, Kalikhola,
between Gorumara and Chapramari Forest, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S. Basu; 4 males, 4 females, 9.iii.2011, Murti River, Chalsa, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2 females, 19.iv.2013, Poro River,
Poro Beat, Chilapata Forest Range, Alipurduar District, West Bengal, India,
coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 1 female, 19.iv.2013, Raidhak River, Alipurduar
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2 females, 8.iii.2011,
Sikhiajhora, Alipurduar District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 3 males, 3
females, 17.iii.2012, small jhora within Gorumara National Park, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2 males, 2 females, 23.iii.2013,
stagnant pool beside Rishi River, Rishikhola, Darjeeling District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S. Basu; 2 males, 2 females, 19.iii.2013, stagnant pool, North
Khairabri Reserve Forest, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S.
Basu;10males, 15females, 20.iii.2012, stagnant pool within Mahananda Wildlife
Sanctuary, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu;1male,
19.iii.2012, Teesta Canal, near Odlabari, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal,
India, coll. S. Basu; 1female, 13.iii.2011, Teesta Canal, Teesta Barrage,
Gajaldoba, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S Basu; 2 males, 2
females, 13.iii.2011, wetland beside Gajaldoba, Teesta Barrage, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S Basu; 2 males, 2 females, 17.iv.2013,
Dima River, Damanpur Forest, Alipurduar District, West Bengal, India, coll. S.
Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length of male ranges from 10.2–11.4mm. Female may attain a length of about
11.2–11.8mm. Maximum body width of male 0.53mm and maximum body width of female
0.65mm.
Description:
The general colour of the body brownish yellow. In male, the venter darker in
colour, while in female, the venter pale yellowish brown. A narrow white stripe
extends along the median line of the body from the posterior margin of eyes to
the posterior margin of pronotum. Head 15.9 times as long as the width
(L/W=3.03/0.19). Clypeus bluntly conical. Rostrum reaches a length of 2.38mm,
reaching beyond the eyes, but not surpassing the head. First antennal segment
short, third antennal segmet longer than second. Length of antennal segments
1–4: 0.43mm, 1.10mm, 2.03mm, 0.94mm. Interocular width 0.09mm. Length of
pronotum 0.64–0.66 mm and width 0.52–0.56 mm. Length of eye 0.22mm and width
0.12mm. Pronotum with an encircling row of pits parallel to the anterior
margin, posterior lobe of pronotum with a median longitudinal row of pits. The
hemelytra large and long, extending to the posterior margin of fourth abdominal
segments in brachypterous forms. Abdomen 8.9 times longer than width
(L/W=4.54/0.51). In male, the length of genital segment 0.59mm and width
0.24mm. In dorsal view, sides of seventh segment of abdomen almost parallel.
Fore femora not surpassing the apex of head and hind femora not surpassing the
tip of abdomen. The distance between fore and mid coxa 0.86mm.
Genitalia:
Seventh sternite of male is transversely depressed and hairy as in the
posterior half of sixth abdominal segment. Posterior dorsal margin of seventh
segment is fringed with short stiff hairs. The terminal dorsal process of male
sharp. In female, the last dorsal abdominal segment broader behind than in
front and with a sharp ovipositor.
Global
distribution: Bangladesh,
China, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Sumatra, Thailand, Vietnam, and India.
Distribution
in India: Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala,
Maharashtra, Odisha, Pondicherry, Rajasthan, Tamilnadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West
Bengal.
Habitat:
River beds,
streams, stagnant pools within forests, ponds, lakes with algal bloom or
floating vegetation, swamps, paddy fields, rocky up and low lands of streams.
Remarks:
A widespread
species found throughout the world. This species is attracted to light.
Family Mesoveliidae Douglas & Scott,
1867
Body
small, slender, semi-aquatic, greenish insects characterised by the saw-like
ovipositor and three-segmented tarsi. The macropterous forms have 2–3 closed
cells in the forewing, ocelli, and exposed scutellum, while the apterous forms
lack ocelli, scutellum, and wing pads.
Genus Mesovelia Mulsant & Ray
Diagnosis:
Body
slender, attains a length of 2.0–4.0mm. Dorsally yellowish green in colour with
some brownish patterns. Head usually distinctly prolonged and deflected infront
of eyes. Head length distinctly less than thorax, with three pairs of cephalic
trichobothria. Antennae long, slender, with third and fourth segment longer and
thinner than first and second segments. Pronotum length shorter or subequal to
mesonotum in apterous forms.Macropterous forms having a pair of ocelli on the
posterior part of head, while the apterous forms lacking ocelli. The scutellum
in macropterous form elevated, fore wings with three closed cells. Legs slender
marked with spines and bristles, hind leg long. All tarsae three segmented with
two apical claws. The scent gland orifice distinct and situated in tergite IV
medially. Male genital segment large. Females are larger than males, with
well-developed ovipositor.
Mesovelia vittigera Horvath: Image 69. a–m
1901b. Mesovelia
orientalis Kirkaldy, Annali del Museo Civico di storia Naturale Giacomo
Doria, 20: 808.
1903. Mesovelia
mulsanti White: Distant, Fauna of British India, 2: 169.
Material
examined: Regn.no.3176/H15,
2 males, 1 female, 19.iii.2013, Buri Torsha River, Bish Khutia, border between
South Khairabari and North Khairabari Reserve Forest, Jalpaiguri District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 6 males, 2 females, 16.ix.2011, Ghospukur Dighi,
Kamala Bagan, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2 males,
2 females, 4.x.2013, jhora beside Kiranchandra Tea Garden, Darjeeling District,
West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 male, 3.x.2013, pond at Binnaguri,
Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 5 males, 3 females,
3.x.2013, pond at Mainaguri, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S.
Basu; 1 female, 4.x.2013, Shivmandir, Siliguri, Darjeeling District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India,
Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length varies from 2.0–2.4mm; maximum width of body across thirdabdominal
segment 0.61mm.
Description:
Yellowish or greenish dorsally. Females are larger than males; in male,
length of the head 0.43mm and width 0.32mm. Eyes oblong, 1.8 times wider than
length (W/L=0.22/0.12). Pronotum (0.56mm) 1.75 times wider than head (0.32mm),
interocular width 0.21mm.Rostrum 0.99mm, reaching beyond mesocoxa. Antennal
length 1–4: 0.31mm, 0.29mm, 0.44mm, 0.53mm. Abdomen slender in male but wider
in female with prominent segmentation. Venter yellowish. Posterior margin of
mid femur armed with row of black spines (10–17) in both sexes.
Genital
segment: Male
genital segment VIII 0.39mm in length and 0.25mm in width, with stout black
hair tufts on the middle and a pair of brush-like hairs laterally. Male
paramere small, curved as in Image 69l.
In female, ovipositor prominent, bulging out of the body.
Global
distribution: Malaysia,
Singapore, Africa, Australia, Egypt, Indonesia, Palestine, Philippinesss,
Syria, Sri Lanka, Samoa Island, China, Japan, and India.
Distribution
in India: Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra,
Odisha, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Stagnant or
lentic water bodies, mainly ponds, lakes, river banks, floating vegetation,
brackish water habitats.
Remarks:
This species
is very widely distributed in India. They prefer stagnant or slow-flowing water
covered by emergent or floating vegetation.
Mesovelia horvathi Lundblad, 1934: Image 70. a–h
Material
examined: Regn.no.
3165/H15, 1 male, 17.ix.2011, pond near Baradighi, Malbazar, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological
Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Body
length not more than 2.5mm. Brachypterous male attains a length of 1.9mm and in
female, the body length 2.1mm.
Description:
Body light yellow to greenish in colour. The macropterous forms have two or
three closed cells in the forewing, ocelli, while the apterous forms lack
ocelli ad scutellum. Head length 0.3mm and width 0.36mm. Interocular width
0.192mm. Eye length 0.145mm and width 0.09mm. Length of pronotum 0.57mm and
width 0.63mm. Rostrum long, surpasses the meso coxa and reaching upto midway of
body and upto the meta coxa. Length of rostrum 0.82mm. Length of male fore
femur 0.50mm and width 0.07mm. Mid femur hairy below and length 0.49mm. In
female, mid femur with two, three, or four spines arranged ventrally at inner
margin.
Genital
segment: Length of
male genital segment 0.19mm and width 0.18mm, elongated, without any median
spine, but with two lateral groups of spines as in Image 70g. The male paramere
is prominently curved. Proctiger elongated, apex round. In female, the
ovipositor is saw-like and projecting outward.
Global
distribution: India,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Distribution
in India: Tamil Nadu
and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Freshwater
ecosystems like ponds, pools, lakes, and slow-flowing streams with floating
vegetation.
Remarks:
They are
small, slender, greenish bugs, carnivorous in nature, and feed on a variety of
dead insects found on water surface. Apterous forms usually outnumber the
macropterous forms.
Family Veliidae Amyot & Serville, 1843
Body
small (1.8–18mm), oval or elongate bugs. The general colour varies from
yellowish brown to grey or black, with dorsum often marked with yellow or brown
or silvery spots. Wing polymorphism is common and apterous forms are the most
commonly encountered morphs.Presence of pre-apical claws, short legs, and
absence of ocelli.
Genus Microvelia Westwood, 1834
Diagnosis:
Adults may
be apterous or macropterous. Body usually elongate, oval or sub-oval. Colour
varies from black or dark brownish above with yellowish brown markings. Body
covered with relatively short pilosity. Head shorter than wide, shortly or
moderately produced infront of eyes, with a shiny distinct median furrow and a pair
of pseudocular pits at base. Antennae relatively long, with small tubercles
situated closely to margin of eyes, fourth antennal segments longer than second
and third. Pronotum usually longer than head, with large, transverse pale
marking or paired spots anteriorly, concave anteriorly, bordered by dark
punctures. Macropterous forms having pronotum with distinctly raised humeral
angles, the wing reaching abdominal end, long, venation of fore wings forming
four closed cells, black with whitish stripes and spots. Fore femora moderately
thickened, not modified. Fore tibiae of male with a comb on inner surface near
apex. Mid tibiae with long row of curved hairs on inner surface. Claws of mid
and hind legs long, slender, with bristle-like arolia. Abdomen relatively long
with evenly rounded laterally, depressed or with hair tufts and tubercles. Mid
leg distinctly longer than fore leg and shorter than hind leg.
Microvelia (Microvelia) albomaculata Distant, 1910: Image 71. a–h
Material
examined: Regn.no.
4771/H15, 1 male, 1 female, 16.ix.2011, Ghoshpukur Dighi, Kamala Bagan,
Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation,
Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Male
body length 1.3–1.8mm, maximum body width of male 0.37mm. Female body length
1.4–2.0mm, maximum body width of female 0.41mm.
Description:
Body dull black dorsally with a grayish pubescence. Length of head 0.25mm and
width infront of eyes 0.20mm. Head subglobosely arched. Interocular width 0.24mm.
Rostrum 0.37mm in length, reaching beyond fore trochanter. Eye length 0.11mm
and width 0.06mm, a marginal fascia to head continued inside eyes to base.
Length of antennal segments 1–4: 0.07mm, 0.07mm, 0.10mm, 0.16mm. A reddish or
yellowish brown marginal fascia on pronotum anteriorly, not reaching the
anterior angles. Pronotum 0.39mm in length. Humeral width 0.59mm. Hemelytra
spotted with grayish white, of which a large spot present at clavus, corium
with two large basal marginal spots, three irregularly shaped spots in
transverse series, a large sub-apical spot on membrane and a smaller sub-apical
spot at inner margin, lateral margins of hemelytra concavely sinuate and finely
hirsute. Fore femur 0.29mm in length. Length of abdomen 0.74mm and width 0.38mm.
Genitalia:
Female genital segment 0.22mm in length and 0.25mm in width, tapering
towards the end, much broader apically.
Global
distribution: India
and Bangladesh.
Distribution
in India: West Bengal.
Habitat: Ponds and lakes.
Remarks:
This species
can be easily recognized by the marking patterns on wings.
Microvelia (Microvelia) douglasi Scott, 1874: Image 72. a–j
1903. M.
repentiana Distant, Fauna of British India, 3: 174.
1909. M.
kumaonensis Distant, Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 5(8):
500.
Material
examined: Regn.no.
4634/H15, 1 male, 2 females, 8.iii.2011, Sikhiajhora, Alipurduar District, West
Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 1 female, 19.iii.2012, Teesta Canal near
Odlabari, Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 12 females, 8
males, 12.iii.2012, wetland beside Gajaldoba Teesta Barrage, Jalpaiguri
District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological
Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size:
Apterous male reaches a length of 1.45–1.6mm and apterous females may attain a
length of 1.65–2.0mm.
Description:
Body 3.3 times longer than width (BL/BW=1.45/0.44).Length of head 0.22mm and
width including eyes 0.37mm. Head and pronotum dull black. Interocular width
0.22mm. Length of antennal segment 1–4: 0.14mm, 0.12mm, 0.18mm, 0.25mm,
yellowish brown in colour, secondsegment shorter than the rests. Pronotum with
the lateral angles subacutely prominent. Hemelytra pale brown. Length of
abdomen 0.89mm and width 0.40mm. Length of fore femora 0.33mm. Fore tarsae single-segmented,
whereas mid and hind tarsae two-segmented.
Genitalia:
Male genital segment 0.24mm in length and 0.23mm in width. Usually one
paramere projecting outward of the genital segment and the other one hidden
inside (Image 72g). Paramere curved with more or less pointed tip. In female,
the length of seventh segment 0.24mm and width 0.35mm.
Global
distribution: India,
Australia, Japan, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.
Distribution
in India: Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha,
Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Stagnant
poolsand ponds with vegetation.
Remarks:
This species
was described by Distant as M. kumaonensis from Bhim Tal, Kumaon. This,
inturn, proved that this species was also found in high altitudinal wetlands.
Genus Rhagovelia Mayr
Diagnosis:
Body
elongated sub-oval or oval, relatively small. Head small with a cleavage line
originating from the posterior margin and extends down to the anteclypeus. Eyes
large, usually as wide as the vertex at the posterior margin. Antennae
four-segmented with a conspicuous protuberance at base. Pronotum well-developed
posteriorly. In some females, pronotum develops into a long, narrow process.
The mesonotum completely hidden beneath the pronotum. Metasternal scent glands
present, connected by a transverse suture across the sternum. Fore wing not
well-differentiated into corium, clavus and membrane, with small apical cells. Hind
wing with venation. The first abdominal tergite reduced, with a median elevated
area. Third to seventh abdominal sternum occasionally armed with a median
longitudinal elevation. Hind femur shorter than tibiae. Mid tarsae with a deep
cleft which possess leaf-like claws and plumose hairs, arising from the base.
Hind tarsae three-segmented. Mid femur and hind femur modified with several
spine-like structures.
Rhagovelia (Neorhagovelia) sumatrensis Lundblad, 1936: Image 73. a–k
1934. Rhagovelia
femorata var. sumtrensis Lundblad, Archiv für Hydrobiologie -
Supplement, 4: 287.
Material
examined: Regn.no.
4599/H15, 5 males, 4 females, 4nymphs, 21.iii.2015, Jorkhola, Bunkulung,
Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S. Basu; 2 males, 10 females,
15.iii.2012, Teesta River, Rabijhora, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India,
coll. S. Basu, in wet preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Male
body length 2.43–2.46 mm, body width 0.91mm. Female body length 2.46–2.5 mm,
body width 0.93–0.97 mm.
Description:
Body dark black. Head length 0.18mm. Length of eye 0.23mm and width 0.14mm.
Interocular width 0.29mm. Length of antennal segment 1–4: 0.43mm, 0.27mm,
0.38mm, 0.35mm. Pronotum 3.68 times wider than long (W/L=0.70/0.19), anterior
margin of pronotum black, bearing an orange brown transverse band medially,
surrounded by black margins, posterior margin of pronotum either slightly
concave or straight. Humeral width 0.84mm. Length of abdomen 1.46mm and width
0.64mm. Mid coxae slightly embrowned. Male mid femur (Image 73f) with three to
four slender sharp spines ventrally onbasal half. Male hind femur with 14–18
basal teeth reaching to base of femur, distally followed by seven to nine teeth
after the long, curved middle spine. Female hind femur (Image 73h) with three
to six basal, one middle, and five to six distal teeth. Hind trochanter with
four to six black denticles.
Genitalia:
Male genital
segment VIII 0.33mm in length and 0.28mm in width. Male paramere (Image 73)
short, slightly curved with more or less bluntly pointed apex and with few
scattered pegs. Pygophore (Image 73) elongated, broad. Dorsal sclerite as in
Image 73.
Global
distribution: China,
Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and Africa.
Distribution
in India: Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, Sikkim, and West Bengal.
Habitat:
Streams,
cascades, and riffles with sandy bottom.
Remarks:
It is a wide
spread species and distribution ranges from North India to Indian Ocean
islands.
Genus Velia (Cesavelia) Koçak &
Kemal, 2010
Diagnosis:
Body
elongated, larger species, blackish dorsally. The first antennomere distinctly
longer than the head width. Hind femur slender in both sexes, distinctly
shorter than hind tibiae. Meso-trochanter unarmed. In female, meta-trochanter
unarmed. Meta-femur of male slender or moderately incrassate and heavily armed
than female, where it is slender, usually with small irregular teeth on flexor
side. Male genital segment relatively large. Proctiger plate-shaped. Paramere
prominent and strongly curved. In females, proctiger plate-shaped covering
gonocoxae.
Velia (Cesavelia) mitrai Basu, Subramanian and Polhemus, 2013:
Image 74. a–h, Image 75. i–n
Material
examined:
Regn.no.2946/H15, 2males, 3females, 3.iii.2012, small stream, Neora Valley
National Park, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India, coll. S.Basu, in wet
preservation, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Morphology:
Size: Length
of apterous male ranges from 7.0–7.2 mm, maximum width of body (across thorax)
1.8mm.Length of female ranges from 7.3–7.4 mm, body maximum width 1.8–1.9 mm,
width 1.8–1.9 mm.
Description:
Body color black, with scattered silvery pubescent patches dorsally. Head
black with a prominent median furrow, antennae, eyes and legs black. Head
length 0.68mm, width 1.10mm. Length of first antennomere 2.2 times head length
and 1.4 times head width. Head width 1.8 times as long as interocular space.
Pronotum black, with broad patches of silvery pubescence laterally and a
transverse orange patch anteromedially. Pronotum length 1.47 times as long as
eye length (pronotum 0.59mm, eye 0.40mm). Mesofemur 2.0 times as long as
pronotal width. Metatibia 1.0 times as long as metafemur, 1.8 times as long as
metatarsus. Second mesotarsus 1.3 times as long as third tarsomere. Flexor side
of meso- and metatibia with erect setae. Metatrochanter with eight denticles,
fifth and sixth denticles somewhat longer than the remainder. Metafemur of male
stout, 6.4 times as long as wide (Image 75 k & l), posterior margin bearing
prominent spines (Image 75 k & l), starting with 12 small teeth, followed
by two long diverging teeth, continued with 10 small teeth, then another larger
tooth, followed by seven small teeth of progressively decreasing size to apex
(Image 75l). Metafemur of female slender and slightly longer than in male,
lacking spines. Abdominal tergites II, V, and VI with dense patches of silvery
pubescence laterally, smaller patches of silvery pubescence present at
anterolateral angles of tergites III and IV. Abdominal sternites II–VI dark
orange-brown medially. Length of abdominal tergites 4.20mm, maximum width
1.50mm. Connexival spines in male short with apices pointed when viewed both
dorsally and laterally. Posterior connexival apices longer than in male,
pointed when viewed both dorsally and laterally (Image 74f), covered with short
hairs.
Genitalia:
Male genital segment VIII 1.1 times as long as wide, elongated and hairy
below (Image 74g & Image 75i). Proctiger of moderate length, slightly
expanded distally with posterior margin broadly rounded, bearing long setae
laterally and medially, basal lobes small (Image 75m). Male paramere evenly
curved, slightly twisted medially, apex moderately rounded. Endosoma with
lateral sclerite relatively slender, expanded centrally, broadly curved along
its length (Image 75n). Ovipositor of female as in Image 75.
Global
distribution: India.
Distribution
in India: West Bengal.
Habitat:
Small,
unpolluted, shaded high mountainous streams flowing through forests.
Remarks:
This species
is closely related to Velia tomokunii Polhemus and Polhemus from Nepal.
Diversity assessment
Estimation of Species richness (Fig. 62)
Figure
62 depicts the observed and estimated species richness for the 86 sampling
sites of the present study area. Species accumulation curves plotted against
sites showed that the slope of the curve rapidly increases in the beginning as
new taxa were recorded with increasing number of sites. According to Chao1
mean, a total of 82 species (of which 61 species were identified upto the
species level as only nymph or females found in collection) were estimated from
the study sites, whereas Jack1 mean and Jack2 mean indicate that the species
richness would have exceeded 110 and 122, respectively. This estimated species
richness is slightly higher than the observed richness as many of the species
of aquatic and semi-aquatic Hemiptera are cryptic in habit and hence might not
have been collected during the survey. This trend indicates that there might be
a possibility of a few taxa that were missed during the collection because of
their ambiguousness or infrequency. The gradual flattening of the curves,
however, shows that most of the common and existing taxa would have been
sampled and hence can be used as a reasonable estimate of the total species
richness for the study sites sampled.
Species richness mapping across the study
area (Fig. 63)
Species
richness is simply the number of species of a given taxon in unit study area or
in the chosen assemblage. This richness measure in ecological study is the most
intuitive measure of biodiversity.The current study using GIS mapping tools
shows that the Gorumara National Park and Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary areas
of Jalpaiguri are the richest zones as maximum number of species (21–26)
occurred in this area. This region is free of human disturbances and is under
protected areas. The Lataguri-Kalmati-Baradighi of Malbazar andAlipurduar
region is the second highest richness zone showing 16–20 species occurrence.
Most of the areas of Darjeeling, including Kalimpong, Rishikhola, Pedong,
Mongpu, Mirik, Ghoom, Sonada, Sevoke, Kalijhora, and Gorubathan except
Phansidewa-Kharibari-Naxalbari region, shows lowest species richness and only
1–5 species were recorded from this mostly hilly region. The areas of
Gajaldoba, Raimatang, Madarihat and Jayanti of Alipurduar region also
represents the lowest species richness zone, which may be attributed to the
greater degree of anthropogenic disturbances like grazing, pisciculture, dam
construction, etc. in the area.
DISCUSSION
The
Eastern Himalayan region recognized by the international community as
biodiversity hotspots is well represented by a large number and variety of
flora and fauna with high degree of endemism. The knowledge on aquatic and
semi-aquatic Hemiptera is limited to the taxonomic preliminaries, recording few
species from different parts of this region. Little attention has been paid to
the faunal documentation of water bugs from the Eastern Himalayan States except
the works on the State of Meghalaya (Bal & Basu 1999), Tripura (Bal &
Basu 2000), Arunachal Pradesh (Thirumalai 2002), Sikkim (Bal & Basu 2003),
Manipur (Bal & Basu 2004), and West Bengal (Bal & Basu 1994) by
Zoological Survey of India as a part of their routine survey. In this context,
the present study was a pioneer effort and conducted through surveying various
wetlands including ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, waterfalls, roadside seeps,
etc. across the Darjeeling Himalayan and Jalpaiguri sub-Himalayan regions of
West Bengal.The survey methods consisted of repeated collection of mainly
adults at 86 different sampling sites from March 2011 to October 2013 as adults
are required to make species-level determinations in most cases. In order to
investigate faunal diversity from a wide array of habitats of the study area,
collections were carried out at headwaters of different rivers as well as at
various points downstream.
The
survey focusing on species identification and documentation resulted in a total
of 2003 examples belonging to 61 species under 34 genera and 14 families of
which15 species are new records to the State of Bengal and one species of Enithares
unicata Lundblad is a new report to India. Bal & Basu (1994) reported a
total of 22 species from both Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri Districts.The current study
further adds a total of 40 different species to the checklist of Darjeeling and
Jalpaiguri region. Further, the present study also addressed the diagnosis of
common and existing species with detail photographs and genitalic structures,
which are not discussed earlier and a special approach was to prepare a key for
identifying the family, genera, and species of aquatic and semi-aquatic
Hemiptera of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri region of West Bengal. During the
survey, 11 species were already described new to science and published in
reputed journals, which indicates that the Himalayan and sub-Himalayan regions
of West Bengal harbour rich diversity of aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera.
Though, due to inaccessibility to many regions and climatic harshness of this
region, many areas remain unexplored. Two families, Ochteridae and
Gelastocoridae were not encountered during the present study as they are
cryptic in nature and hence might have been overlooked during the survey. The
present study highlights that genera like Velia, Amemboa, Micronecta,
Heleocoris, Aphelocheirus, Ventidius, Metrocoris, Sigara,
Tiphotrephes, etc. are poorly documented within West Bengal, and more
extensive field surveys are required to understand the distribution and
diversity of this group. It is also expected that other Eastern Himalayan
states of India, including the northern parts of West Bengal, may also harbour
more new species or new genus, which might have easily gone undetected in this
underexplored region because of their cryptic habits.
The
majority of threats to freshwater biodiversity are linked to human population
growth and development and also the increasing demand for natural resources.The
Darjeeling Himalaya and Jalpaiguri Sub-Himalaya are famous for tourism being its
major source of revenue. The area is under severe pressure due to rapid
urbanization as a consequence of growing tourism business and these emerging
threats have made this area ecologically fragile. Many macroinvertebrate fauna
including aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera are increasingly at risk due to
anthropogenic threats imposed in the streams and all other water bodies in
Eastern Himalayan region. The contribution to the knowledge on water bugs to
the structure and function of freshwater ecosystems has emphasized the need for
the study of the local, regional, and global diversity profiles and also to
formulate relevant conservation strategies for these bugs. The observed and
estimated species richness in the current study clearly shows that the sampling
was adequate to address diversity of water bugs in the study area.
The
current research also highlighted the gap areas and the areas with rich
biodiversity by using GIS applications. Mapping of species is important for
management of biodiversity, species protection, and prediction of possible
impacts of landuse or climate changes, which require detailed information on
the distribution of organisms and the relationship between organisms and
environmental variables. Once spatial distribution is mapped, the distribution
and abundance can be monitored efficiently with respect to time and future
changes as opinioned by Qamar et al. (2011).The fundamental need is for
extensive and good quality field surveys over the study area. These surveys,
however, have serious constraints such as lack of fundings for carrying out
fieldwork, need of experts in taxonomy, and regulations set by the existing
legislation in some parts, especially in the protected areas of West Bengal.
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SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT
Key to the Infraorders of aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera
- Antennae hidden and inserted
beneath eyes, shorter than the head, not visible from above; head without
trichobothria; always occur in winged forms; lives in submerged water; true
aquatics and a few shore bugs ...................................................................................................................
Nepomorpha Popov
- Antennae conspicuous and inserted
infront of eyes, longer than the head, clearly visible from above; head with
three pairs of trichobothria; wingless or winged forms; lives on the surface of
the water, walking or skating; semi-aquatic and surface bugs
............................................ Gerromorpha Popov
Key to the Families of Nepomorpha Popov, 1968
1. Ocelli
present ............................................................. 2
Ocelli
absent .............................................................. 3
2. Rostrum
very long and slender, reaching the hind coxae;
fore
femora not thickened and non-
raptorial;
tarsal formula 2:2:3.......................................
......................................................
Ochteridae Kirkaldy
Rostrum
short and stout, not reaching beyond the
hind
coxae and extended upto the posterior margin of
prosternum;
fore femora thickened
markedly
and raptorial; tarsal formula 2:2:2 .............
................................................
Gelastocoridae Kirkaldy
3. Rostrum
short, triangular, not distinctly segmented; fore
tarsi
scoop-shaped and single-
segmented,
fringed with setae ................................ 4
Rostrum
long, cylindrical, cone-shaped,
beak-like,
distinctly segmented; fore tarsi
single
or more segmented, not scoop-shaped
and
without setae .................................................... 5
4. Body
length 2mm or more; scutellum concealed,
entirely
or nearly entirely covered by
pronotum;
labium with a distinct transverse
groove
.................................................. Corixidae Leach
Body
length less than 2mm; scutellum exposed; labium
without
transverse groove ...... Micronectidae
Jaczewski
5. Body
long and slender; abdomen with a pair of slender,
long,
non-retractile respiratory siphon with spiracles at
its
base ............................................. Nepidae Latreille
Body
oval or oblong, hemispherical; abdominal
spiracles
short or absent
........................................
6
6. Respiratory
siphon short, flat, retractile, strap-like; wing
membranes
with distinct veins . ... Belostomatidae Leach
Respiratory
siphon absent;
wing
membranes without veins
............................. 7
7. Forelegs
raptorial; body dorso-ventrally flattened;
abdomen
with spiracles ....................................... 8
Forelegs
non-raptorial; body dorsally
convex
or elongated; abdominal spiracles
absent
......................................................................... 9
8. Rostrum
very long and slender, extending beyond the
hind
coxae; fore femora broadened slightly;
antennae
short, not reaching the lateral margins
of
the head; abdominal spiracles with rosettes
...............................................
Aphelocheiridae Fieber
Rostrum
relatively short and stout, extending beyond
the
fore coxae; fore femora broadened
distinctly;
antennae long, extending past the
lateral
margins of the head; abdominal spiracles
lacking
rosettes ................................ Naucoridae Leach
9. Head
and pronotum fused; antennae one- or two-
segmented
..................... Helotrephidae Esaki & China
Head
and pronotum not fused and separate; antennae
three-
or four-segmented ........................................ 10
10. Body
elongated, length more than 3mm; hind tibiae and
tarsae
ciliated; claws of hind tarsae
inconspicuous;
rostrum four-segmented ...................
..................................................
Notonectidae Latreille
Body
ovoid, length less than 3mm; hind tibiae and tarsae
not
ciliated; hind tarsae with a pair
of
well-developed claws; rostrum three-
segmented
.......................................... Pleidae Fieber
Family Aphelocheiridae
Key to the Species of Genus Aphelocheirus Westwood, 1833
Hemelytra touching each other
medially in brachy- pterous forms; Body
length 7.0–7.7mm; Propleura broadly rounded posteriorly
..................................... Aphelocheirus (A.) thirumalaii
Basu, Subramanian & Saha, 2013
- Hemelytra
narrowly separated from each other in brachypterous
forms; Body length 7.8–8.8mm; Propleura rounded bluntly with inner propleural projection
notched apically ..................... Aphelocheirus (A.) pradhanae
Zettel, 1998
Family Belostomatidae
Key to the Subfamily of the Family Belostomatidae Leach, 1815
-
Body length less than 30mm; hind tibiae and tarsae similar to mid tibiae and
tarsae; first segment of rostrum longer
than half of the second segment ........
B. elostomatinae Leach, 1815
-
Body length more than 30mm; hind tibiae and tarsae strongly compressed, thin,
much broader than the mid tibiae and tarsae; first segment of rostrum approximately half the length of the second
segment ......................... Lethocerinae Lauck & Menke, 1961
Key to the Species of the Genus Diplonychus Laporte, 1833
Large species, hemelytra without
spiny patch on corium; fore tarsae two-segmented; respiratory straps without
cluster of setae ………. Diplonychus annualtus
(Fabricius, 1781)
Small
species, hemelytra with spiny patch on corium; fore tarsae single segmented;
respiratory straps with cluster of setae...Diplonychus rusticus
(Fabricius, 1781)
Family Corixidae
Key to the Species of the Family Corixidae Leach, 1815
Vertex with rows of obscure
punctures posteriorly; fore femur with two pairs of small spines just distal to
stridulatory area ... Sigara promontoria (Distant, 1910)
Vertex
with a low obscure longitudinal carina posteriorly; fore femur lacking such
spines .............................................. Sigara kempi
(Hutchinsosn, 1940)
Family Micronectidae
Key to the Species of the Family Micronectidae Jaczewski, 1924
Medium to small species, length less
than 3.3mm .... 2
Large
elongate species, length more than 3.3mm; hemelytra with darker longitudinal
stripes which vary from distinct unbroken to broken stripes .............. Micronecta
scutellaris scutellaris (Stal, 1858)
Hemelytra marked with distinct
unbroken or broken stripes, but not punctuate
........................................ 3
Hemelytra
marked with distinct dark dots or punctuate ........ Micronecta haliploides Horvath,
1904
Dark pattern on corium consisting of
four distinct solid, regular parallel bands; pronotum a pair of sub-oval curved darker stripes, which may be indistinct
or fragmented, no transverse stripe …… Micronecta
ludibunda Breddin, 1905
Dark
pattern on corium streaky, irregularly linear or indistinct; pronotum not as
above ............................ 4
Medium sized species, length upto
3.3mm; free lobe of eighth tergite sigmoid in outline in male .................Micronecta
quadristrigata Breddin, 1905
Small
species, length less than 3.0mm; free lobe of eighth tergite not like above in
male ......................... 5
Head pale yellow, with an obscure
central, elongated orange spot on the anterior part of vertex, free lobe of
eighth tergite almost rectangular in male .......................... Micronecta
desertana desertana Distant, 1920
Head
dull yellow with dull orange stripe on frons and with a pair of obscure orange spots near inner margin of eyes; free
lobe of eighth tergite not as above ....... Micronecta khasiensis Hutchinson,
1940
Family Nepidae
Key to the Subfamily of the Family Nepidae Latreille, 1802
1
Body dorso-ventrally flattened; parasternites visible;
head
distinctly narrower than pronotum, partly
enclosed
in the anterolateral pronotal angles ..........
...................................................
Nepinae Latreille, 1802
Body
not dorso-ventrally flattened, more or less
cylindrical;
parasternites concealed, not visible; head
and
pronotum sub-equal in width, not enclosed
between
the anterolateral pronotal angle
.................................
Ranatrinae Douglas & Scott, 1865
Key to the Genus of Subfamily Ranatrinae Douglas & Scott, 1865
1
Eyes in lateral view globose, not reflexed downwards
or
not obscuring ventral margin of head; respiratory
siphon
usually long and slender (except in R. gracilis group)
.......................................................
Ranatra Fabricius, 1790
Eyes
in lateral view reflexed downwards, obscuring ventral
margin
of head; respiratory siphon short, stout and about
one-fourth
of the length of the body ................................
..................................
Cercotmetus Amyot & Serville, 1843
Key to the Species of Genus Ranatra Fabricius, 1790
1. Male
body length excluding siphon less than 25mm;
eye
width less than or slightly less than interocular
space
......................................................................... 2
Male
body length excluding siphon much greater
than
25mm (28–30mm); eye width equal to or greater
than
interocular space; male genital capsule not distally
invaginated .......
Ranatra digitata Hafiz & Pradhan, 1947
2. Vertex
usually rounded between eyes;
mid
and hind tibiae with long semi-erect
hairs
on ventral surface .................................... 3
Vertex
usually slightly raised between eyes,
occasionally
developed into a vestigial tubercle; mid
and
hind tibiae with long, fine hairs on
ventral
surface; male parameres distally hook-
like
with several stout spines on inner margin .......
...............................
Ranatra filiformis Fabricius, 1790
3. Second
and third segments of antennae with many
stout
spines; mesosternum rounded and shining with
V-shaped
cleft between midcoxae and
metasternal
plaque lozenge-shaped,
sometimes
with a median keel, otherwise almost
flat
.......................... Ranatra varipes varipes Stal, 1861
Second
and third segments of antennae with
fewer
spines than typical form; mesosternum always
broadly
depressed for its entire length with a
conspicuous
median keel, lateral margins sometimes
carinate
and metasternal plaque almost triangular with
an
obtuse apex ............................................................
..................
Ranatra varipes atropha Montandon, 1903
Family Notonectidae
Key to the Subfamily of the Family Notonectidae Latreille, 1802
1. Hemelytral commissure with
definite hair-
lined
pit at anterior end; males with rostral
prong
.............................. Anisopinae Hutchinson, 1929
Hemelytral
commissure without definite
hair-lined
pit at anterior end; males without rostral
prong
............................. Notonectinae Latreille, 1802
Key to the Genus of the Subfamily Notonectinae Latreille, 1802
Mid femora of male with an
anteapical pointed protuberance; antennae four-segmented; eyes not holoptic
........................... Enithares Spinola, 1837
Mid femora of male without any
pointed protuberance; antennae three-segmented; eyes holoptic
.......................... Nychia Stal, 1860
Key to the Species of Genus Enithares Spinola, 1837
1. Pronotal
humeral width usually less than three times
of
median length; Hind femur slightly expanded
distally
and with a slight depression on anterior
surface
near trochanter margin; Outer claw of mid leg
conspicuously
thickened and bent inward ............................ Enithares
mandalayensis Distant, 1910
Pronotal
humeral width about three times of median
length;
Hind femur not as above and lacking
depression;
Outer claw of mid leg not as above ...........
..............................
Enithares unicata Lundblad, 1933
Key to the Species of Genus Anisops Spinola, 1837
1. Synthlipsis
narrow, less than one third the anterior
width
of vertex ......................................................... 2
Synthlipsis
wide, one-third or more than the anterior
width
of vertex; anterior margin of the vertex not
extended
beyond eyes .................................. Anisops
paranigroloneatus Brooks, 1951
2 Eyes
holoptic basally .................................................
................................
Anisops breddini Kirkaldy, 1901
Eyes
not holoptic ...................................................... 3
3. Robust
species; frons produced anteriorly into a
cephalic
horn which is acuminated at apex in males
..........
Anisops sardeus sardeus Herrich-Shaffer, 1850
Slightly
fusiform species; frons produced anteriorly
into
cephalic horn, apex of which with a median
depression
................... Anisops nasutus Fieber, 1851