Comparative description of the hairy structures in two endemic Velia species (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae): V. currens (Fabricius, 1794) and V. gridellii Tamanini, 1947

Abstract

Cianferoni, F. and Santini, G. 2014. Comparative description of the hairy structures in two endemic Velia species (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae): V. currens (Fabricius, 1794) and V. gridellii Tamanini, 1947. -Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 95: 347-357.This study provides the first description, based on SEM imagery, of the hairy structures related to life on the water surface of two Alpine-Apenninic species belonging to the genus Velia: V. currens (Fabricius, 1794) and V. gridellii Tamanini, 1947. In general, no relevant differences in the organization and form of these structures were found between the two species. Similarly, few differences were observed between males and females, and in comparison with the only congeneric with hairy structures thus far described, V. caprai Tamanini, 1947, confirming a substantial homogeneity within the subgenus Plesiovelia. The discovery of a double layer of microtrichia in both our species allowed us to detect them even in V. caprai, for which only a single layer was previously described. Finally, the presence of a structure corresponding to the male grasping comb was discovered in females of V. gridellii and is reported for the first time in the genus and in the Old World Veliinae. A similar structure was not identified in V. currens. This difference may be relevant for better understanding the relationships among species belonging to this genus.

Differences in prey capture in semiaquatic bugs (Heteroptera:Gerromorpha)

“…Velia caprai is univoltine or partly bivoltine prevalently with an apterous morph (Ditrich & Papáček 2009b). Velia gridellii is an Italian endemic species with very similar body dimensions, life history and habitat preferences as V. caprai (Cianferoni & Santini 2012, 2013.…”

Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of the West‐Palaearctic Velia (Heteroptera: Gerromorpha: Veliidae)

“…Preliminary SEM studies seem promising and documented the presence of a grasping comb on the front tibiae of V . (P.) gridellii females, a structure which usually is found only in males of the family Veliidae (Cianferoni & Santini, ). The authors hypothesized that this feature state may be characteristic for the Euro‐Asiatic group of species (Clade 2 of our study), because this structure is missing in V .…”

“…Tamanini, , , , , , ,c, ,b, , , , , , ), and defined its reliable diagnostic characters, such as the shape of the last abdominal segments, morphology of parameres and endosomal sclerites of the males, morphology of the connexivum of abdominal segment VII of females and of the tergum IX in both sexes. Based on the same morphological characters, Cianferoni () further assigned the species of Velia ( Plesiovelia ) to the ‘ currens ’ and ‘ affinis ’ species‐groups (see also Cianferoni & Mazza, ; Cianferoni & Santini, ; Cianferoni & Terzani, ).…”

“…Likewise, most of the available data on the ecology and biology of Velia refers to the few species from central and northern Europe, whereas a modest number of reports are available for the southern and eastern taxa (e.g. Cianferoni & Santini, , ). From a molecular phylogenetic perspective, only a handful of species have been analysed and only in a wider systematic context (e.g.…”

The Semiaquatic Gerromorphans

“…They are inserted medio-dorsally on the antennal tuber- Cianferoni and Santini 2013 ) cles, usually well in front of eyes, and always have four articles, besides short intersegmental pieces which are usually found between antennomeres II-III and III-IV. A superfi cial ring on antennomere IV of some genera of Hebridae gives the impression of a fi ve-segmented antenna, which was misinterpreted in the past.…”