Abstract
The aquatic and semiaquatic Hemiptera of Jamaica were surveyed between April 2004 and February 2005 by sampling 60 freshwater and saline aquatic habitats throughout the island. A total of 39 species was found, confirming the presence of 31 previously known hemipteran species in the island, and adding eight additional species. This gives an overall total of 49 species occurring in Jamaica, including those that have been previously recorded but not found during this study.
The aquatic and semiaquatic hemipterans of Jamaica were investigated between April 2004 and February 2005 by sampling a variety of freshwater and saline aquatic habitats throughout the island. Sixty sites were visited; these included ponds, rivers, artificial water bodies and estuaries. Hemipterans were collected using hand nets varying in mesh size from 0.07 to 2 mm.
Vegetation, flow, and other characteristics of each site were recorded. The sampling sites were categorized into the following nine habitats based on these characteristics: artificial lentic habitat – ponds or tanks with concrete or other artificial substrate, with little vegetation; natural vegetated ponds – natural substrate, with abundant vegetation; natural unvegetated ponds – natural substrates, with little or no vegetation; turbulent mountain streams – coarse substrate, with little vegetation; large deep rivers – non-turbulent, with fine sediments; mid-size rivers – varying degrees of turbulence, vegetation, and substrate; estuaries; still water – depressions or excavations in land where water had settled, and other.
Thirty-nine species of aquatic and semiaquatic Hemiptera in 13 families were found during this study, including eight species that were not previously reported from Jamaica (). This is also the first report of the presence of two families of hemipterans, Saldidae and Macroveliidae, in Jamaica. The investigation confirmed the presence of 31 hemipteran species previously reported (Drake and Hussey Citation1955; Cobben Citation1960; Davis Citation1966; Nieser Citation1969; Aarons Citation1971) but was unable to determine whether 10 previously recorded species still exist on the island. This results in a total of 49 aquatic and semiaquatic species of Hemiptera in 13 families recorded from Jamaica, an increase from the most recent study conducted in 1971 where 41 species from 11 families were identified (Aarons Citation1971).
Table 1. Aquatic and semiaquatic Hemiptera found in Jamaica between April 2004 and February 2005.
In terms of species composition, there was a characteristic set of hemipterans that occurred in each habitat type (). There was little overlap among species; a few were widespread and found in more than one habitat type, but most occurred in only one kind of habitat.
Related Research Data
References
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