A checklist of benthic macroinvertebrates of ponds of Tatra Mountains is presented. The checklist comprises 122 taxa including the first records of Derotanypus cf. sibiricus (Kruglova & Chernovskii, 1940) (Diptera: Chironomidae) and Arctocorisa carinata (Sahlberg, 1918) (Heteroptera) from Slovakia. The most diverse pond site supported 28 taxa, the minimum number of recorded taxa was 2. The richest group was Chironomidae (Diptera) constituting almost half of the total diversity (58 taxa), followed by Trichoptera with 15 taxa. The other higher taxonomic groups were represented by considerably lower taxa number. Relatively high number of recorded taxa underlines important contribution of small lentic waterbodies to regional biodiversity of high-altitude ecosystems.

BackgroundAquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera occur on all continents except Antarctica and occupy a wide variety of habitats, including lentic and lotic water bodies, perennial or temporary. In the Neotropical Region, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the geographical distribution of most represented species, which can only be solved by the collection of specimens in under-studied areas and publication of new records and lists of species.New informationNew records are presented for eleven species of Gerromorpha and ten Nepomorpha, including first records from Venezuela (Brachymetra lata, Limnogonus hyalinus, Rhagovelia evidis, Tenagobia peruana, Limnocoris burmeisteri, L. fittkaui fittkaui, Placomerus micans, and Martarega gonostyla), the Venezuelan State of Bolívar (Cylindrostethus palmaris, R. elegans, R. tenuipes, and Ambrysus stali), the Brazilian State of Bahia (Martarega bentoi), Peru (Euvelia lata), and the Peruvian Region of Arequipa (Microvelia pulchella).

Although insects form a large part of the aquatic fauna worldwide, expansive species of aquatic insects are quite rare. Recently, we can observe a tendency to the range expansions in several aquatic insect species. Here, we present the first record of water bug species Anisops sardeus sardeus (Heteroptera: Notonectidae) from Slovakia. This is the northernmost record of this small-bodied backswimmer which is native to Sahelo-Sindian area, extending to Mediterranean. However, the species shows recent range expansion northward in Europe. We document the current distribution of A. s. sardeus in Slovakia and Europe, and discuss the drivers of expansion and possible impact of the alien species on resident fauna.

The water bugs represent a significant component of the freshwater biota, play an important role in trophic webs, and may have considerable economic importance. Nevertheless, systematic research of this group has been underdeveloped in Slovakia (central Europe) for decades. This work presents a list of water bug species of Slovakia based on an exhaustive review of the literature (time span: 1808-2013) and on more than 14,000 individuals collected during extensive field campaigns (2010-2014) or obtained from insect collections. Fifty-six species belonging to 11 families of Heteroptera were recorded from a total of 767 sites. Seven species were recorded for the first time from Slovakia during our research. Among those, the first exact records of Corixa panzeri Fieber, 1848, Sigara (Subsigara) distincta (Fieber, 1848), Notonecta (Notonecta) lutea Müller, 1776, Notonecta (Notonecta) maculata Fabricius, 1794 and Microvelia (Microvelia) buenoi Drake, 1920 are provided here. Confusion concerning the records of two additional species, Arctocorisa carinata carinata (C. R. Sahlberg, 1819) and Hesperocorixa parallela (Fieber, 1860) is clarified. The water bugs species inventory appears to be nearly complete (~97 %) given an asymptotic richness estimate. The occurrence of other species is discussed taking into account their habitat requirements and distribution in neighbouring countries. Recommendations for future research are provided.