Studies of the true bugs of Xinjiang, Northwestern China. III. Water bugs and semiaquatic bugs (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha, Gerromorpha)

Abstract

In Xinjiang (Western China), the fauna of water bugs and semiaquatic bugs comprises 28 species of 7 families belonging to the infraorders Nepomorpha Popov, 1968 and Gerromorpha Popov, 1971. The present paper provides new data on the distribution of 19 species of 6 families (Nepidae, Corixidae, Naucoridae, Notonectidae, Hebridae, and Gerridae). Four species of the family Corixidae, Micronecta griseola Horváth, 1899, Hesperocorixa linnaei (Fieber, 1848), Paracorixa kiritshenkoi (Lundblad, 1933), and Sigara seistanensis (Distant, 1920), and one species of the family Hebridae, Hebrus pilipes Kanyukova, 1997, are recorded for the first time for China. The family Hebridae and three species of the family Corixidae, Cymatia rogenhoferi (Fieber, 1864), Corixa dentipes Thomson, 1869, and Paracorixa caspica (Horváth, 1878), are new to the fauna of Xinjiang. The record of Gerris odontogaster (Zetterstedt, 1828) whose distribution in Northwestern China had been considered doubtful was confirmed. A key to the species of the genus Micronecta from Middle Asia and Western China is given. Differences between the two closely related species Sigara seistanensis (Distant, 1920) and S. striata (Linnaeus, 1758) are discussed, and their distinctive features are listed.