A new genus of marine water striders (Hemiptera, Veliidae) with five new species from Malesia N. M0LLER ANDERSEN Elit. SCan fi Andersen, N. M.: A new genus of marine water striders (Hemiptera, Veliidae) with five new spe­ cies from Malesia.Entscand. 22: 389-404. Copenhagen, Denmark January 1992. ISSN 0013-8711. The generic classification of water striders belonging to theveliid subfamily Haloveliinae is dis­ cussed and revised and a key to the genera provided. A new genus of marine haloveliines, Haloveloides gen. n., is described. The type species of the new genus, H. papuensis (Esaki) comb, n., is redescribed and recorded from Papua New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and the Solom ons. H. browni (Lansbury) comb. n. is redescribed and recorded from the same areas as the type species. Five new species are described in the genus: H. brevicornis sp. n. (the Moluccas, Sulawesi, Palawan),sundaensis sp. n. (Sunda shelf areas),danpolhemi sp. n. (Palawan),cornuta sp. n. (Luzon), and femoralis sp. n. (Palawan). The cladistic relationships and biogeography of the species are discussed. N. M oiler Andersen, Zoological Museum, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Den­ mark. Introduction Material and methods Marine water striders o f the subfamily Haloveliinae The present study was based on material belonging (Gerromorpha, Veliidae) have radiated extensively to the institutions and collections listed as reposito­ in habitats of intertidal coral, rocky, and mangrove ries below. Type material o f all species belonging to coasts in the Indo-Pacific region. I have earlier the new genus but formerly placed in Halovelia (Andersen 1989a, 1989b) revised the coral bugs, ge­have been studied. Much material has been nus Halovelia Bergroth (1893), with 30 species gathered by the author during the past twenty years chiefly inhabiting the intertidal zone o f coral reefs. and is now deposited in the Zoological Museum, In this work (Andersen 1989a), a new concept o f the University of Copenhagen. On expeditions spon­ Sen us Halovelia was introduced and a few species sored by the National Geographic Society, Drs originally placed in this genus were transferred to John T. Polhemus, Englewood, Colorado, and Dan !he genus Xenobates Esaki (1927) which will be A . Polhemus, Honolulu, have collected many speci­ treated in a forthcoming paper (Andersenin prep,). mens belonging to the new genus from a number Halovelia papuensis Esaki (1926) does not fit in of localities throughout the Indo-Malayan ar­ either of these genera and it is therefore necessary to chipelago. erect a new genus to hold this species together with The methods used to preserve, store, and examine some recently described species o f Halovelia (Lans- marine haloveliines have been described earlier bury 1989) and five undescribed species from Male­ (Andersen 1989a). Colouration and vestiture are sia. important characters in distinguishing the new ge­ The subfamily Haloveliinae contains at presentnus (and some species) from other haloveliines. the generaHalovelia Bergroth(1893), Strongylove- Specimens stored in 70% ethyl alcohol may not lia Esaki(1924), X enobates Esaki(1927), and En- show all o f these characters. It is therefore advisable ‘omovelia Esaki(1930). In the context of describingto dry mount synoptic series of specimens as done the new genus, the generic classification ofduring the the present study. The morphological termi­ Haloveliinae is reviewed and a revised key to generanology follows Andersen (1982, 1989a). A s a rule, Presented. absolute measurements (total length and maximum © Fm_ 390 Andersen, N. M. ENT. SCAND. VOL. 22:4 (1991) width of body) are given to show the range of varia­ 1.3 mm long), this genus was characterized by the tion of each species. Relative measurements are relatively long head, the broad female abdomen, only given for one specimen of each sex, usually the and especially by a fringe of long, stout hairs on the holotype and a paratype of the opposite sex. Except exterior margin of the intermediate legs.X. seminu­ as noted, all relative measurements are given in lum was collected in a river with brackish water, micrometer units, 10 units equal 0.125 mm. while most subsequent records of Xenobates spp. (Lansbury 1989; Polhemus, unpublished; Ander­ sen, unpublished) are from marine habitats, chiefly List of repositories mangroves. (with abbreviations used in the lists o f material Polhemus (1982) describedHalovelia (Colpove- examined) lia ) angulana (Northern Territory, Australia). The JTPC - John T. Polhemus Collection, Englewood, diagnostic characters o f the new subgenus were the Colorado absence of a fore tibial comb and presence of yel­ NHML - Natural History Museum (formerly British Museum, Natural History), London lowish and silvery pubescent markings. Polhemus TMB - Termeszettudomanyi Muzeum (Hungarian Na­ (I.e.) included Halovelia loyaltiensis China (1957) tional Museum), Budapest andH. malaya Dover [sic!]. I have examined speci­ UMO - University Museum, Oxford University, Oxford mens of the latter identified by J.T. Polhemus. They USNM - U.S. National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. belong to Haloveloides sundaensis sp. n. described ZMUC - Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen below. Most recently, Lansbury (1989), while describing Generic classification new marine haloveliines from Australia and the Solomon Islands, placed the species ofHalovelia The shifting position of the subfamily Haloveliinae known to him in four groups: (1) Halovelia (Hale 1926; Esaki 1926, 1930; China & Usinger (Halovelia): male with a fore tibial comb; (2) 1949; Poisson 1956) has been thoroughly discussed Halovelia (Colpovelia): male without a fore tibial earlier (Andersen 1982, 1989a) where it was con­comb, fore trochanter not spinose and sternum firmed that the haloveliines belong to the family keeled; (3) Halovelia (species group): male without Veliidae. However, the generic classification o f the a fore tibial comb, fore trochanter spinose and ster­ Haloveliinae needs further attention, especially af­ num keeled; and (4) Halovelia (species group): male ter the discovery o f several marine species that vio­ without a fore tibial comb, fore trochanter not late the current generic concepts within the sub­ spinose and sternum not keeled. Most previously family (Esaki 1930; China & Usinger 1949; Ander­ described Halovelia species were placed in the first sen 1982). group. The second group contained H. angulana The genus Halovelia Bergroth (1893) was delimit­ (but not H. loyaltiensis). In the third group Lansbu­ ed by Andersen (1989a) to include marine ry (I.e.) placed his new species H. carinata and haloveliines with relatively small eyes (eye width less browni, apparently overlooking that the former is than 0.3x interocular width of head), a definite the same asH. papuensis Esaki (1926). The fourth grasping comb (a row of densely set spines) on the group contained a new species from Queensland, fore tibia of male, genital segments of male with­ H. myorensis Lansbury. While there is no doubt drawn into pregenital abdomen, etc. When describ­ about the taxonomic distinctness ofHalovelia (sen­ ing Halovelia papuensis, Esaki (1926) noticed that su stricto; as defined by Andersen 1989a), the rest of this species is much different from the other species the marine haloveliines are much more heter­ o f Halovelia in its relatively much longer legs, less ogenous. Lansbury (1989) also used the meso- swollen mesonotum, etc. Esaki overlooked, femoral hair fringe to separateXenobates (with X. however, that his new species also was unique in seminulum and a new species,X. solomonensis) lacking the grasping comb present in allHalovelia from Halovelia. This character is quite variable, species (first shown by Hale 1926). however. I have seen several undescribed species In the same paper, Esaki (1926) described a new which show all grades of development of the genus, Microbates (preoccupied name, replaced by mesofemoral hair fringe. In some of these, the male Xenobates Esaki, 1927), based upon a single spe­ has a carínate abdominal venter. The subgenusCol­ cies, X. seminulum (Esaki 1926). Apart from the povelia (Polhemus 1982) does not belong to minute size of the type species (male 1.2 mm, female Halovelia (male grasping comb lacking), but more ENT. SCAND. VOL. 22:4 (1991) New genus o f marine water striders 391 likely to Xenobates, and its status as a separate tax-- Chiefly dark coloured; thoracic dorsum at most on is questionable (pale pronotal markings and with scattered silvery hairs. Fore trochanter of male with a tubercle or spine before apex (ex­ silvery pubescence on dorsum are found in many cept / / . femoralis sp. n.). Middle femur more species). than 0.9x total length, with short pubescence The spinose fore trochanter o f the male seems to along anterior margin; ratio of middle tarsus be diagnostic for a group of species comprising and tibia about 0.8:1.................. Haloveloides gen. n. Halovelia papuensis (Esaki 1926), H. carinata, and browni also recognized by Lansbury (1989). In my Taxonomy opinion, this species group is sufficiently distinct from other marine haloveliines to deserved the sta­ GenusHaloveloides gen. n. tus of a separate genus which is described below. Type species: Halovelia papuensis Esaki, 1926; here desig­ The following key will assist in the identification nated. of haloveliine water striders to genus. The key also includes the two freshwater genera,Strongylovelia Description Esaki (1924) andEntomovelia Esaki (1930).