Overview of the species of Aphelocheirus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aphelocheiridae) of India, with description of a new species from West Bengal

Abstract

An overview and a key to the species of Aphelocheirus of India are given. Aphelocheirus (Aphelocheirus) thirumalaii sp. nov. from Gorumara National Park of Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, is described. With this new species, eight other species of benthic water bugs (Aphelocheiridae) are reported from India. A distribution map of all known Indian species is also provided.

Respiratory function of the plastron in the aquatic bug,Aphelocheirus aestivalis(Hemiptera, Aphelocheiridae)

“…Third, plastron insects tend to occur in well-oxygenated, flowing water (Hutchinson, 1981), which reduces the effective boundary layer thickness and its resistance to diffusion. In particular, A. aestivalis live typically in moving streams (Basu et al, 2013;Hoffmann, 2008;Miguélez and Valladares, 2010). In stagnant water, the measured boundary layer thickness in A. aestivalis is about 500 μm, which is thin enough to satisfy a bug with respiratory demands twice the level of the minimum that we measured.…”

Report on antennal sensilla ofAphelocheirus ellipsoideus(Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Aphelocheiridae)

“…The family Aphelocheiridae is distributed exclusively in the Old World and reaches its greatest species richness in the Oriental Region (Sites et al, 2011). It is represented by a single genus Aphelocheirus , with 104 species currently described in the world (Basu & Subramanian, 2016; Basu et al, 2013; Liu & Ding, 2005a, 2005b; Liu & Zheng, 1994, 2000; Nieser & Chen, 1991; Nieser & Millán, 1989; Nieser et al, 2004; Polhemus, 1994; Polhemus & Polhemus, 1989, 2013; Sites, 2005; Sites et al, 2011; Thirumalai, 2007, 2008; Tran & Nguyen, 2016; Xie & Liu, 2014, 2015; Zettel et al, 2008; Zettel, 1993, 1998, 1999a, 1999b, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2012; Zettel & Pangantihon, 2010; Zettel & Tran, 2009). Aphelocheiridae have four‐segmented antennae, the antennae in Aphelocheiridae are easily visible since they are not concealed.…”