Redalyc.Taxonomy and Distribution of Aquatic and Semiaquatic Heteroptera (Insecta) from Cuba
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Revista de Biología Tropical ISSN: 0034-7744 [email protected] Universidad de Costa Rica Costa Rica Naranjo, Carlos; Muñoz Riviaux, Senén; Moreira, Felipe F.F.; Correa Court, Ramón Taxonomy and distribution of aquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera (Insecta) from Cuba Revista de Biología Tropical, vol. 58, núm. 3, septiembre, 2010, pp. 897-907 Universidad de Costa Rica San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44918839008 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative Taxonomy and distribution of aquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera (Insecta) from Cuba Carlos Naranjo1, Senén Muñoz Riviaux2, Felipe F.F. Moreira3 & Ramón Correa Court1 1. Departamento de Biología, Faculdad de Ciencias Naturales de la Universidad de Oriente, Santiago de Cuba, Patricio Lumumba s/n esq. Ave. de las Américas. C. Postal 90500, Cuba; [email protected] 2. Departamento de Cuencas Hidrográficas (CATEDES), Ignacio Agramante N° 818 e/n Aguilera y Prado, CP: 95100, Guantánamo, Cuba; [email protected] 3. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Laboratório de Entomologia. Avenida Brigadeiro Trompowski, s/n, bloco A, sala 107, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. CEP 21941-971, C. Postal 68044; [email protected] Received 19-VII-2009. Corrected 08-II-2010. Accepted 05-III-2010. Abstract: Heteroptera is a worldwide distributed group of insects inhabiting both terrestrial and aquatic habitats and has an important ecological role. A survey of aquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera from Cuba is provided based on literature reports and field collections. General data on species geographical distribution are given, along with altitude and collection season. Representatives of 86 species and morphospecies of the infraorders Dipsocoromorpha, Leptopodomorpha, Gerromorpha and Nepomorpha are listed, distributed in 35 genera and 16 families were found. Based on distributional data, a preference for habitats of stagnant water or slow current and lower altitudes is inferred. Fifteen species are distributed throughout the entire island. A higher species diversity was found in the Eastern sector, with 53 species (61.63%), 16 of which (18.60%) are confined to this area. The strongest biological similarity was found between Eastern and Western sectors (25%), and the weakest between Western and Central sectors (14%). Rev. Biol. Trop. 58 (3): 897-907. Epub 2010 September 01. Key words: biodiversity, biogeography, check list, Neotropical Region, water bugs. The suborder Heteroptera comprises a very approximately 92% of the aquatic bugs diver- interesting group of insects with a worldwide sity (Polhemus & Polhemus 2008). Accord- distribution. Most of the species are terrestrial, ing to Polhemus & Polhemus (2007), since but many are found in stagnant or running the 1970’s, major taxonomic activity concern- freshwater habitats, estuaries, and even in open ing Neotropical water bugs is represented by ocean waters (Nieser & Melo 1997, Andersen works on Suriname, adjacent Northern South 1982). Generally, the aquatic and semiaquatic America, the Caribbean and Mexico, with the Heteroptera are predators with an intermedi- exception of the monograph of the genus Rha- ate stage in the food chains of their respective govelia Mayr, 1865 of the Western Hemisphere communities; some species may have econom- (Polhemus 1997). ic importance as predators of mosquito larvae As for the Cuban island, there is a great and adults, or as food for fish (Jenkins 1964, gap of knowledge concerning this fauna, since Menke 1979). only three significant taxonomic surveys of Most species of the aquatic and semi- aquatic Heteroptera have been published up aquatic Heteroptera belong to the infraorders to date (Guérin-Méneville 1857, Alayo 1967, Leptopodomorpha, Gerromorpha and Nepo- 1971, 1974, Nieser 1973, 1977). In this contri- morpha, with the last two encompassing bution, we present a review of the studies on Rev. Biol. Trop. (Int. J. Trop. Biol. ISSN-0034-7744) Vol. 58 (3): 897-907, September 2010 897 aquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera reported the families Saldidae, Gerridae, Hydrometri- from Cuba, an updated list of species, and bio- dae, Veliidae, Belostomatidae, Corixidae, Nau- geographical and distributional data. coridae, Nepidae, and Notonectidae. In Kirkaldy & Torre-Bueno (1909), exclud- ing synonyms and errors of identification and MATERIALS AND METHODS distribution, 25 species were mentioned for For species survey and information on Cuba, including records for Mesoveliidae and their geographic distribution, a thorough bib- Pleidae. It is important to mention that records liographic review, of published studies and for Neoplea striola (Fieber, 1844) from Cuba recent monographs regarding aquatic insects cited by Kirkaldy & Torre-Bueno (1909) and from Universidade de Oriente, was undertaken. previous works, actually belong to Paraplea Also, specimens from different collections, puella (Barber, 1923). In addition, Gelastocoris made by researchers from the Departamento oculatus oculatus (Fabricius, 1798) and G. o. de Biología de la Universidade de Oriente variegatus (Guérin-Méneville, 1844), treated throughout the country, were examined. Not as different species instead of subspecies, were all surveyed species were included in bio- cited by various authors for different localities from Insular Central America, but Kirkaldy & geographical and distributional discussions, Torre-Bueno (1909) regarded those records as because some of them presented incomplete doubtful. locality or habitat data. After the above cited works, isolated Tables were produced linking each species descriptions of species and studies on specific to biogeographical, habitat, season, and altitude families or genera were made (Martin 1928, data. For biogeographic distribution analysis, Anderson, 1932, Hungerford 1933, Hunger- Samek (1973) regionalization criterion and ford & Evans 1934, Drake 1938, Kuitert 1942, Tsechanovsky’s Index of Biological Similar- Drake & Harris 1942, 1943, Hungerford 1948, ity (BSI) (Feinsinger 2004) were applied. For Drake 1952, Truxal 1953, Hungerford 1954, habitat preference evaluation, habitats were Drake & De Carlo 1953, Drake & Hussey divided into areas of flowing or stagnant water, 1955, Lauck 1959, Menke 1963, Drake & the latter including river or stream pools, as Van Doesburg 1966). Those studies added 27 well as ponds of any kind. For inferring alti- species to Cuban fauna, including records for tudinal distribution, four groups were defined: Ochteridae and Hebridae, and ensuring the species found up to 60m asl (A), up to 200m occurrence of Gelastocoridae. asl (B), up to 600m asl (C), and up to 750m asl However, the first taxonomic study deal- (D). Seasonal distribution evaluation was based ing specifically with aquatic and semiaquatic on available data from 46 species, which were Heteroptera from Cuba was published only by grouped according to season (dry or rainy) of Alayo (1967), who listed and keyed 14 fami- collection. Altitudinal distribution of Cuban lies, 30 genera and 63 species. Additions and aquatic bugs was inferred from data available emendations to this study were published by for 39 species. Alayo (1971), and an updated version in Alayo (1974), with 14 families, 32 genera and 68 spe- RESULTS cies. New country records for 10 species were presented in Alayo’s papers, including two Brief history of Cuban aquatic and Saldidae, three Gerridae, two Hebridae, one semiaquatic Heteroptera: In the 19th century, Mesoveliidae and two Veliidae. the classic work of Guérin-Méneville (1857) Alayo (1974) recorded an undetermined listed 14 species (not including synonyms and species of Laccocoris Stål, 1856 from Cuba. misidentified species) of aquatic and semi- However, the occurrence of the genus in Amer- aquatic Heteroptera from Cuba, belonging to ica is highly questionable, and thus the record 898 Rev. Biol. Trop. (Int. J. Trop. Biol. ISSN-0034-7744) Vol. 58 (3): 897-907, September 2010 should not be considered valid. Considering Updates on those species will be published in the doubtful presence of Laccocoris, the syn- forthcoming papers. onymy between Trochopus Carpenter, 1898 Besides Laccocoris sp., records of four and Rhagovelia proposed by Polhemus (1997), other species cited by Alayo (1974) were not the revalidation of Neogerris Matsumura, 1913 taken in consideration in the elaboration of by Andersen (1975), and the newly described the checklist: (1) Limnogonus hyalinus (Fabr- genera Platyvelia Polhemus & Polhemus, 1993 icius 1803), as Alayo affirmed that he had just and Steinovelia Polhemus & Polhemus, 1993, one unlabeled specimen doubtfully belonging the number of currently valid genera in Alayo to this species and no others records from (1974) remains 32. Cuba were found; (2) Microvelia capitata Nieser (1973, 1977) enriched Alayo’s list Guérin-Méneville, 1857, based in an inaccurate by adding one family (Dipsocoridae), three description and unknown type-series, which genera (Cryptostemma Herrich-Schäffer, 1835; was considered a probable junior-synonym Eurygerris Hungerford & Matsuda, 1958; and of M. pulchella Westwood, 1834 by Drake & Corisella Lundblad, 1928), and six species. Hussey (1955); (3) Buenoa femoralis (Fieber, Since then, just