Heteroptera (Hemiptera) of the Socotra Archipelago I: Introduction, Nepomorpha, Gerromorpha and Leptopodomorpha

This contribution is the first part of a series designed to summarize the present knowledge on the fauna of true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of the Socotra Archipelago. A review of aquatic, semiaquatic and shore bugs of the infraorders Nepomorpha, Gerromorpha, and Leptopodomorpha of Socotra is provided. Nine families and 19 species are recorded from the Socotra Island (including two marine off-shore species). The following new species and new records are given: Micronecta eupompe Hutchinson, 1930 (Micronectidae), Sigara hog-garica Poisson, 1929 (Corixidae), Hebrus kanyukovae sp. nov., Hebrus sp. (Hebridae), Micro-velia gracillima Reuter, 1882, M. macani Brown, 1953 (Veliidae), Limnogonus cereiventris (Signoret, 1862) (Gerridae), Micracanthia ornatula (Reuter, 1881), and Saldula niveolimbata (Reuter, 1900) (Saldidae). The following new faunistic records are also provided: Micronecta eupompe from Burkina Faso, Anisops varius from Jordan and Rwanda, Mesovelia vittigera Horvath, 1895 (Mesoveliidae) from Mali, Micracanthia ornatula from Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Zambia, China (Sichuan), and Bangladesh, and Saldula niveolimbata from Mali. The status of the type specimens is discussed and corrected for Anisops varius var. scutellata Fieber, 1851 (syntypes), Anisops varius var. sugillata Fieber, 1851 (lectotype), Anisops hoggarica Poisson, 1929 (syntypes), Halobates germanus White, 1883 (lectotype), Halobates sewelli Imms, 1936 (lectotype), Limnogous leptocerus (Reuter, 1882) (lectotype), and Microvelia gracillima Reuter, 1882 (holotype versus neotype).

Automated summary

This article summarizes the knowledge on the fauna of true bugs of the Socotra Archipelago, including aquatic, semiaquatic, and shore bugs. It provides new species and new records, as well as discusses the status of type specimens.