New genera of Veliidae (Hemiptera : Heteroptera) from Australia, with notes on the generic classification of the subfamily Microveliinae

Abstract

Water striders and their allies (Hemiptera, Gerromorpha) are familiarinhabitants of water surfaces throughout the world. One of the mostspecies-rich groups is the subfamily Microveliinae (Veliidae) that comprisessmall or very small bugs inhabiting the nearshore areas of stagnant orslow-flowing freshwater. Accumulation of material during the past 30 years hasshown that the Australian fauna of Microveliinae is much richer and morediverse than previously recognised. In the present paper we discuss thegeneric classification of the subfamily and describe three new genera forspecies previously classified in the genus MicroveliaWestwood as well as three other new genera and nine new species. The new taxaare: Drepanovelia, gen. nov. (type-species:Microvelia dubia Hale),D. millennium (NSW, Queensland),D. biceros (NSW), and D. nielseni(Queensland) spp. nov., Lacertovelia hirsuta, gen. etsp. nov. (NSW), Petrovelia, gen. nov.,P. agilis (Queensland) andP. katherinae (NT) spp. nov.,Nesidovelia, gen. nov. (type species:Microvelia howense Hale),Microvelopsis, gen. nov. (type species:Microvelia melancholica Hale),M. exuberans (Queensland) andM. minor (Queensland) spp. nov.,Tarsoveloides brevitarsus, gen. et sp. nov.(Queensland). We also redescribe and give additional Australian records fortwo species of the genus Phoreticovelia D. Polhemus & J. Polhemus. Keys to adults of all species are provided and theirdistributions mapped.