A new species of Martarega White, 1879 from South America (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Notonectidae), with an identification key to all described species of the genus

Abstract

Martarega guarani sp. n. is described and illustrated from north-eastern Argentina (Misiones Province), based on brachypterous forms of both sexes and macropterous females. Comparisons with its close relative M. uruguayensis are included. The hind femur with a basal notch extending some distance beyond the apex of the trochanter and conspicuous enlargement contiguous to this notch distinguish the female of M. guarani sp. n. from those of all the remaining species of Martarega. The following combination of characters distinguish the male of M. guarani sp. n. from those of all the remaining species of Martarega: total body length less than 6.5 mm; metaxyphus trilobed with median lobe bluntly rounded; hemelytra of brachypterous form opaque with a narrow straight hyaline stripe running medially almost entire length of wing and a second short one at base of the hemelytral process; anterior surface of middle trochanter with a group of cohesive lanceolate setae on a nodule; anterior surface of middle femur without a nodule. An identification key to the brachypterous form of all described species of Martarega is given. The distribution, habitat preferences and association between species of M. guarani sp. n. are presented.

Keywords:

• Nepomorpha
• backswimmers
• taxonomy
• Neotropical Region
• Argentina
• SEM images

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to Dr D. Polhemus for his aid with the English text. This work was supported by grants from the University of Buenos Aires (Grant No. PIB X846 to Axel O. Bachmann) and the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina (Grant No. PIP 112–200801–02759 to Mariano C. Michat).