Abstract

MELO, María Cecilia. Biodiversity of aquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera (Hemiptera) from Argentinean Patagonia. Rev. Soc. Entomol. Argent. [online]. 2009, vol.68, n.1-2, pp.177-185. ISSN 0373-5680.

The aquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera (infraorders Nepomorpha, Gerromorpha and Leptopodomorpha) show a low diversity in Argentina; up to now 208 species have been recorded. In 1881 Carlos Berg provided the first reference to Heteroptera from Patagonia (Río Negro). Since the early 60's the aquatic Heteroptera have been studied by A.O. Bachmann and his students. Up to now there are 36 recorded species belonging to the families Corixidae, Notonectidae, Belostomatidae, Gelastocoridae, Naucoridae, and Nepidae (Nepomorpha); Hydrometridae, Veliidae, and Mesoveliidae (Gerromorpha), and Saldidae (Leptopodomorpha). Most of these species extend their geographic distribution to northern Argentina except Sigara (Tropocorixa) egbertae Hungerford, S. (T.) trimaculata (Le Guillou), S. (T.) vuriloche Bachmann, S. (T.) forciceps (Spinola), Trichocorixa milicorum Bachmann (Corixidae); Notonecta (Paranecta) virescens Blanchard, N. (P.) fazi Hungerford, N. (P.) vereertbruggheni Hungerford (Notonectidae); Pseudosaldula bergi (Haglund), P. paralia (Torres), P. angusta (Drake & Carvalho), P. sola (Drake & Carvalho), P. doeringi (Drake & Carvalho), and Saldula differata Drake & Carvalho (Saldidae), which are exclusive from Patagonia. The knowledge of the Patagonian aquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera is accurate. According to the gathered data the state of conservation is acceptable; almost 40% of the species found in natural protected areas correspond to exclusive species from this region, representing almost the 40 % of the exclusive species from Patagonia.

Keywords : Aquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera; Patagonia; Argentina.

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