Laccotrephes
| Laccotrephes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Laccotrephes pfeiferiae | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Family: | Nepidae |
| Genus: | Laccotrephes Stål, 1866 |
Laccotrephes is a genus of water scorpion belonging to the family Nepidae.[1] They are carnivorous insects that hunt near the water surface. They are not aggressive, but may inflict a painful bite if not handled carefully, which may cause a local reaction.[2]
Anatomy
They are dark brown to rufous brown, elongate and flattened, aquatic insects with hooked raptorial forelegs and a long, thin tube (or siphon) protruding from the tip of the abdomen.[2] The respiratory siphon consists of two filaments which are extensions of the eighth abdominal tergum. These in unison form an air duct which takes in air from above the water surface. Air is fed via the tracheal system and spiracles on the dorsum of the first abdominal segment to an air store under the elytra.[3]
Populations
The genus contains two distinguishable assemblages, with respectively Afrotropical and Indomalayan-Australasian centers of diversity.[4] The two assemblages overlap only in Iran. Morphology of the male paramere is important in distinguishing species.
Species
- Laccotrephes brachialis Gerstaecker, 1873 – Africa
- Laccotrephes celebensis Polhemus & Keffer, 1999 – Sulawesi
- Laccotrephes dissimulatus Montandon, 1912 – Africa
- Laccotrephes elongatus Montandon, 1907
- Laccotrephes fabricii Stål, 1868 – Africa
- Laccotrephes griseus (Gúerin-Méneville, 1844)
- Laccotrephes grossus (Fabricius, 1787)
- Laccotrephes maculatus (Fabricius, 1775)
- Laccotrephes pfeiferiae (Ferrari, 1888) – Southeast Asia
- Laccotrephes robustus Stål, 1870
- Laccotrephes ruber (Linnaeus, 1764)
- Laccotrephes sondaicus Polhemus & Keffer, 1999 – Sumbawa and Flores
- Laccotrephes tristis (Stål, 1854) – Australia
- Laccotrephes vicinus (Signoret, 1863) – Africa
References
- ↑ "BioLib - Laccotrephes". biolib.cz. Retrieved 2015-02-18.
- 1 2 "Laccotrephes (Laccotrephes) tristis (Stål, 1854)". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
- ↑ Schaefer, edited by Carl W.; Panizzi, Antônio Ricard (2000). Heteroptera of Economic Importance. Hoboken: CRC Press. p. 583. ISBN 9781420041859.
- ↑ Polhemus, John T.; Keffer, Steven L. (Spring 1999). "Notes on the Genus Laccotrephes Stål (Heteroptera: Nepidae) in the Malay Archipelago, with the Description of Two New Species". Journal of the New York Entomological Society. 107 (1): 1–13. Retrieved 3 November 2016.