Laccotrephes

Laccotrephes
	Laccotrephes pfeiferiae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hemiptera
Suborder:	Heteroptera
Family:	Nepidae
Genus:	Laccotrephes; Stål, 1866

Laccotrephes is a genus of water scorpion belonging to the family Nepidae.[1] They are carnivorous insects that hunt near the water surface. They are not aggressive, but may inflict a painful bite if not handled carefully, which may cause a local reaction.[2] There are about 60 species found in shallow stagnant or slow-moving waters in warm parts of Africa, Asia and Australia.[3][4]

Anatomy

Laccotrephes species in South Africa

They are dark brown to rufous brown, elongate and flattened, aquatic insects with hooked raptorial forelegs and a long, thin tube (or siphon) protruding from the tip of the abdomen.[2] The respiratory siphon consists of two filaments which are extensions of the eighth abdominal tergum. These in unison form an air duct which takes in air from above the water surface (similar to a snorkel). Air is fed via the tracheal system and spiracles on the dorsum of the first abdominal segment to an air store under the elytra.[5]

Populations

The genus contains two distinguishable assemblages, with respectively Afrotropical and Indomalayan-Australasian centers of diversity.[3] The two assemblages overlap only in Iran. Morphology of the male paramere is important in distinguishing species.

Species

Two Laccotrephes japonensis

Laccotrephes brachialis Gerstaecker, 1873 – Africa
Laccotrephes celebensis Polhemus & Keffer, 1999 – Sulawesi
Laccotrephes dissimulatus Montandon, 1912 – Africa
Laccotrephes elongatus Montandon, 1907
Laccotrephes fabricii Stål, 1868 – Africa
Laccotrephes griseus (Gúerin-Méneville, 1844)
Laccotrephes grossus (Fabricius, 1787)
Laccotrephes maculatus (Fabricius, 1775)
Laccotrephes pfeiferiae (Ferrari, 1888) – Southeast Asia
Laccotrephes robustus Stål, 1870
Laccotrephes ruber (Linnaeus, 1764)
Laccotrephes sondaicus Polhemus & Keffer, 1999 – Sumbawa and Flores
Laccotrephes tristis (Stål, 1854) – Australia
Laccotrephes vicinus (Signoret, 1863) – Africa

References

"BioLib - Laccotrephes". biolib.cz. Retrieved 2015-02-18.
"Laccotrephes (Laccotrephes) tristis (Stål, 1854)". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
Polhemus, John T.; Keffer, Steven L. (Spring 1999). "Notes on the Genus Laccotrephes Stål (Heteroptera: Nepidae) in the Malay Archipelago, with the Description of Two New Species". Journal of the New York Entomological Society. 107 (1): 1–13. JSTOR 25010286.
"Laccotrephes tristis". The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
Schaefer, edited by Carl W.; Panizzi, Antônio Ricard (2000). Heteroptera of Economic Importance. Hoboken: CRC Press. p. 583. ISBN 9781420041859.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)

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[biolib-1] "BioLib - Laccotrephes". biolib.cz. Retrieved 2015-02-18.

[atlas-2] "Laccotrephes (Laccotrephes) tristis (Stål, 1854)". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 3 November 2016.

[polh-3] Polhemus, John T.; Keffer, Steven L. (Spring 1999). "Notes on the Genus Laccotrephes Stål (Heteroptera: Nepidae) in the Malay Archipelago, with the Description of Two New Species". Journal of the New York Entomological Society. 107 (1): 1–13. JSTOR 25010286.

[4] "Laccotrephes tristis". The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre. Retrieved 6 April 2018.

[schaf-5] Schaefer, edited by Carl W.; Panizzi, Antônio Ricard (2000). Heteroptera of Economic Importance. Hoboken: CRC Press. p. 583. ISBN 9781420041859.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)