Julianna Freires Barbosa

Aquatic Insects from the Caatinga: checklists and diversity assessments of Ubajara (Ceará State) and Sete Cidades (Piauí State) National Parks, Northeastern Brazil

Abstract Background Diversity and distribution of Neotropical aquatic insects is still poorly known, with many species to be recorded and many others to be described, due to the small number of taxonomists and sparse faunistic studies. This knowledge is especially poor in the Caatinga Domain in Northeastern Brazil, even though, this region may have played an important historical role in the spatial evolution of faunas of forested areas in northern South America. New information Aquatic insect checklists of 96 species from Parque Nacional de Ubajara (Ceará State, Brazil) and 112 species from Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades (Piauí State, Brazil) are presented, representing the following taxa: Elmidae, Epimetopidae, Hydrophilidae, and Torridincolidae (Coleoptera), Hemerodromiinae (Diptera: Empididae), Ephemeroptera, Gerromorpha and Nepomorpha (Hemiptera), Odonata, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera. Because of the scarce number of biological inventories in Northeastern Brazil, several new distributional records (of species, genera, and families) for Brazil, Northeastern Brazil, and Ceará and Piauí states are provided. In addition, several undescribed species were detected, being 26 from Ubajara and 20 from Sete Cidades. Results represent a significant increase to the known fauna of these states, ranging from 13%-70% increase for Ceará and 41% to 91% increase for Piauí. Although both parks are relatively close to each other and within the Caatinga domain, their aquatic fauna display a very high complementarity (89% species), possibly due to structural differences of water bodies sampled in each park. Rarefaction curves based on quantitative light trap samples suggest a much higher expected species richness of aquatic insects at Sete Cidades than at Ubajara National Park. Discussion on biogeographical affinities of this sample of the Caatinga fauna is provided.

Veliidae (Insecta, Heteroptera, Gerromorpha) from southeastern Brazil: three new species from Rio de Janeiro State, a new species group for Neotropical Rhagovelia Mayr, and notes on distribution and synonymy

Microvelia nelsoni sp. nov., M. takiyae sp. nov., and Rhagovelia mangaratiba sp. nov. are described. Rhagovelia scitula and R. whitei are transferred from the robusta group to the new whitei group. Rhagovelia denticulata is synonymized under R. scitula. Microvelia longipes, Oiovelia brasiliensis, Rhagovelia sooretama, R. trianguloides, R. vaniniae, and Stridulivelia quadrispinosa are recorded for the first time from Rio de Janeiro State. Additional new municipality records in Rio de Janeiro State are presented for Microvelia braziliensis, M. ioana, M. mimula, M. pulchella, Paravelia basalis, P. itatiayana, Rhagovelia accedens, R. agra, R. aiuruoca, R. elegans, R. hambletoni, R. henryi, R. itatiaiana, R. lucida, R. macta, R. modesta, R. novana, R. scitula, R. tenuipes, R. tijuca, R. triangula, and R. zela. Corrections are presented for the previously published distributions of Rhagovelia aiuruoca, R. lucida, R. macta, and R. triangula.

Cytogenetics Analysis and Testis Morphology of Aquatic Species of the Families Belostomatidae, Gelastocoridae, Gerridae, Notonectidae, and Veliidae (Heteroptera)

ABSTRACT. The Heteroptera have holocentric chromosomes with kinetic activity restricted to the end of chromosomes.The first meiotic division is reductional for the autosomes and equational for the sexual. Only a few species of this suborder have been analyzed. In this study, we observed the morphologies of the testes of the Heteroptera species Belostoma anurum (Herrich-Schäffer, 1948), Belostoma micantulum (Stal, 1858), Gelastocoris angulatus (Melin, 1929), Gelastocoris flavus flavus (Guérin-Méneville, 1844), Rheumatobates crassifemur crassifemur (Esaki, 1926), Buenoa amnigenus (White, 1879), Buenoa unguis (Truxal, 1953), Martarega brasiliensis (Truxal, 1949),Martarega membranácea (White, 1879), Martarega uruguayensis (Berg, 1883), Rhagovelia tenuipes (Champion, 1898) and Rhagovelia zela (Drake, 1959).We found that the testes of these species can be round, round/spiral, or elongated/spiral. The size of the prophase I cells was found to vary, with the smallest ones being detected in B. micantulum and Rha. zela, the largest in G. f. flavus, and ones of intermediate size in R. c. crassifemur and M. brasiliensis. With respect to the chromosome complement, we verified the presence of 2n=16 (14A+XY, B. micantulum and G. angulatus), 21 (20A+X0, R. c. crassifemur), 23 (22A+X0, Rha. zela and Rha. tenuipes), 25 (24A+X0, Bu. amnigenus and Bu. unguis; 22A+2m+X0, M. membranacea), 27 (24A+2m+X0, M. brasiliensis and M. uruguayensis), 29 (26A+X1X2Y, B. anurum), and 35 (30A+X1X2X3X4Y, G. f. flavus).We found that the features of spermatogenesis in these species are similar to those of other previously described Heteroptera species, differing only in testicular morphology, chromosome number, and sex chromosome system.

A synopsis of Martarega White, 1879 (Insecta: Heteroptera: Notonectidae) occurring in the Brazilian Amazonia, with descriptions of three new species

The genus Martarega comprises 15 species and nine of these have been recorded in northern Brazil. Martarega pydanieli sp. nov. from Rondonia, while Martarega nieseri sp. nov. and M. barcelos sp. nov. from Amazonas are described here. Six known species are recorded in the Brazilian Amazonian Region (Amazonas, Para, Rondonia and Roraima): M. brasiliensis, M. chinai, M. gonostyla, M. membranacea, M. oriximinaensis, and M. uruguayensis. At the outset of this survey the genus Martarega of the Brazilian Amazonian Region held 12 species, but no specimens of M. mcateei, M. hungerfordi, and M. williamsi were collected in the regions sampled. Martarega brasiliensis is newly recorded from Roraima, which comprises the first record of members of this genus in this State. Martarega uruguayensis is newly recorded from Para and Rondonia, while M. gonostyla from Rondonia. Distinct keys to males and females of Martarega occurring in this region, including these new species, are provided.

A new Rhagovelia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from the Brazilian Amazon, with a key to species of the robusta group known from the country.

Rhagovelia zecai sp. nov., from the Brazilian Amazon, is described, illustrated, compared with similar species, and included in a key to species of the robusta group recorded from the country.

Description of Microvelia urucara sp. nov. and new distributional data on veliids (Insecta: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from the Amazon River floodplain, Brazil

Based on material collected on streams and lakes from the Amazon River floodplain, Brazil, Microvelia urucara sp. nov. is described, illustrated and compared with similar species. The new species, like many other Neotropical Microvelia Westwood, 1834, does not present striking modifications on the body or appendages, but can be separated from its congeners by features of the male genitalia. Distributional data is presented for other veliids collected along the Amazon River, and Paravelia capixaba Moreira, Nessimian & Rudio, 2010 and Microvelia summersi Drake & Harris, 1928 are recorded for the first time from the Brazilian Amazon. Rhagovelia jubata Bacon, 1948 is newly recorded from the state of Amazonas, and Microvelia mimula White, 1879, M. pulchella Westwood, 1834 and M. venustatis Drake & Harris, 1933 are recorded for the first time from the state of Para.

New records of Gerromorpha and Nepomorpha (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera) from South America

Abstract Background Aquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera occur on all continents except Antarctica and occupy a wide variety of habitats, including lentic and lotic water bodies, perennial or temporary. In the Neotropical Region, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the geographical distribution of most represented species, which can only be solved by the collection of specimens in under-studied areas and publication of new records and lists of species. New information New records are presented for eleven species of Gerromorpha and ten Nepomorpha, including first records from Venezuela (Brachymetra lata, Limnogonus hyalinus, Rhagovelia evidis, Tenagobia peruana, Limnocoris burmeisteri, L. fittkaui fittkaui, Placomerus micans, and Martarega gonostyla), the Venezuelan State of Bolívar (Cylindrostethus palmaris, R. elegans, R. tenuipes, and Ambrysus stali), the Brazilian State of Bahia (Martarega bentoi), Peru (Euvelia lata), and the Peruvian Region of Arequipa (Microvelia pulchella).

The True Water Bugs (Nepomorpha)

The infraorder Nepomorpha is one of the most specialized groups of heteropterans, with most of its species spending the entire life cycle within the water. True water bugs include ten families, 52 genera, and approximately 730 species in the Neotropical region, which shelters about 30 % of the global diversity of the group. Despite this fact, little is known about their biology, ecology, and geographical distribution in the Neotropics. Several genera need to be revised and many species remain with outdated descriptions. The systematics of the infraorder, although has received little attention in recent years, remains with various unresolved questions, and no phylogenetic study was conducted for any endemic group of this region.

Description of two new species of Martarega White, 1879 (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha: Notonectidae), one based on the mixed type-series of M. oriximinaensis Barbosa, Ribeiro & Ferreira-Keppler, 2010

Description of two new species of Martarega White, 1879 (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha: Notonectidae), one based on the mixed type-series of M. oriximinaensis Barbosa, Ribeiro & Ferreira-Keppler, 2010. Martarega currently includes 20 species restricted to the Americas. A mixed type-series of M. oriximinaensis from Brazil was detected, including males with an additional group of ensiform bristles on the fore trochanter and mesofemur conspicuously setose. These specimens were described as a new species, M. siolii Barbosa, Nessimian & Takiya, sp. nov., and a redescription of M. oriximinaensis is also given. A second new species from Colombia is described, M. guajira Barbosa, Nessimian & Takiya, sp. nov. This species is very similar to M. pacifica, except for having groups of ensiform setae on the fore- and mesotrochanter, and an additional opaque area on the hemelytra.

New distribution records of the genus Martarega White, 1879 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Notonectidae) in eastern Mato Grosso State, Brazil

Martarega White, 1879 is a small genus of Notonectidae with 20 described species. Individuals of this genus occur in the Western Hemisphere with records from the southern United States to Argentina. In Brazil, we find 14 species. Distribution records of Martarega have a gap in 11 states of Brazil. The State of Mato Grosso has three species, Martarega gonostyla , M. chinai and M. bentoi . This work raised to five the number of species recorded in this state: M. bentoi , M. brasiliensis , M. chinai , M. gonostyla , and M. membranacea .