Mesovelia vittigera Horvath 1895
Creators: name: Kment, Petr
name: Carapezza, Attilio
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Mesoveliidae
Mesovelia
Mesovelia vittigera

description: Mesovelia vittigera Horváth, 1895
(Fig. 12)
Mesovelia vittigera Horváth, 1895:160 (original description). Syntype (s): ♀, Egypt: Cairo and Abukir [= Abu Qir] (HNHM).
Mesovelia orientalis Kirkaldy, 1901: 808–809 (original description). Syntype (s): Indonesia: Sumatra, Padan Panjan (?USNM). Synonymized by HORVÁTH (1915a: 551), synonymy confirmed by JACZEWSKI (1936: 196).
Mesovelia proxima Schouteden, 1905 in BERGROTH & SCHOUTEDEN (1905): 388 (original description). Syntypes: ♂ ♀, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Kinchassa [= Kinshasa] (ISNB). Synonymized by HORVÁTH (1915a: 551).
Published record. WRANIK (2000, 2003): Socotra (no exact locality).
Material examined. SOCOTRA: Dixam plateau, Tudhen (12°32′42ʺN 53°59′54ʺE), helocrene with Juncus, suction sampler, 1135 m a.s.l., 1 ♀ (ap) 1 L, Socotra expedition 2012: J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart lgt. (NMPC); Dixam plateau, wadi Zerig (12°29′36ʺN 53°59′30ʺE), pool at road bridge, Juncus marsh, 655 m a.s.l., 13.–14.vi.2012, 1 ♂ (ap), Socotra expedition 2012: J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart lgt. (NMPC); Dixam plateau, wadi Zerig (12°29′36ʺN 53°59′30ʺE), 18.i.2014, 2♂♂ 4♀♀, A. Carapezza lgt.(ACPI); Firmihin, [ca. 390–760 m a.s.l.], iii.1999, 2♂♂ (ap), W.Wranik lgt., R. Linnavuori det., P. Kment revid. (WWRG → NMPC); Hagher Mts., wadi Madar (12°33′12ʺN 54°00′24ʺE), brook in montane shrubland, 1170 m a.s.l., 18.vi.2012, 7 ♂♂ 4 ♀♀ (ap) 1 L, Socotra expedition 2012: J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart lgt. (NHMW, NMPC);Halla area,Arher (12°33′00ʺN 54°27′36ʺE), freshwater spring in sand dune, 5 m a.s.l., 9.–10.vi.2012, 3 ♂♂ 1 ♀ (ap), Socotra expedition 2012: J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart lgt. (NMPC); Homhil protected area, Ain Tsahrin spring (12°34′12″N 54°18′30″E), shaded pool next to the brook, 435 m a.s.l., 11.vi.2012, 7 ♂♂ 7 ♀♀ (ap) 1 L, Socotra expedition 2012: J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart lgt. (NMPC, MMBC); Qadub, coastal salt-marsh at road (12°38′18″N 53°57′18″E), 8 m a.s.l., 14.vi.2012, 3 ♂♂ 1 ♀ (ap) 1 L, Socotra expedition 2012: J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart lgt. (NMPC, MMBC). – ANGOLA: Carumbo, Mus. do Dundo No. 20 131, 21.viii.1957, 1 ♀ (ap), M.H.B. lgt., P. Kment det. (NMPC). Cazombo, Nhá Bica / Zambeze (11), Mus. do Dundo No. 4983.3, 18.ii.1955, 1 ♀ (ma), no collector, P. Kment det. (NMPC). Guanza de Chemin de Fer de Benguala, Ang. No. 1609.2, 1.ix.1949, 1 ♂ (ap), A. B. Machado lgt., P. Kment det. (NMPC). Luachimo, Mus. do Dundo No. 3514.7, 16.iii.1954, 1 ♂ (ap), A. B. Machado lgt.; Luachimo, Mus. do Dundo No. 20 124, 6.vii.1957, 1 ♀ (ma), M.H.B. lgt.; both P. Kment det. (NMPC). Route Turismo, Mus. do Dundo No. 20 186, 9.vii.1957, 1 ♀ (ap), 8.viii.1957, 1 ♀ (ap), M.H.B. lgt., P. Kment det. (NMPC). BURKINA FASO: KADIOGO PROVINCE: ‘Onagadougou, Haute Volta’ [= Ouagadougou], ix.[19]36, 11 ♂♂ 39 ♀♀ (ma), Škulina lgt., P. Kment det. (NMPC). CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: OMBELLA- MඉOKO PROVINCE: 35 km S Banguí, Salanga env., 350 m a.s.l., 20.xii.2008 – 1.i.2009, 7 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ (ma), A. Kudrna Jr. lgt., P.Kment det. (NMPC). CHAD: ‘Environs du Tsad’, 1937, 2 ♂♂ 18 ♀♀ (ma), Škulina lgt., P. Kment det. (NMPC). MALI: MOඉTI REGION: Sangha, Bandiagara Montes, Soudan Fr., x.1936, 1 ♀ (ma), Škulina lgt., P. Kment det. (NMPC). NIGER: Sahara merid., Maradi, x.1936, 2 ♂♂ 7 ♀♀ (ma), Škulina lgt., P. Kment det. (NMPC). SUDAN: DARFUR: Jebel Marra, Crater Lake, xi.1964, 1 ♂ (ma), A. Eve. lgt., P. Kment det. (NMPC); Jebel Marra, Taratonga stream, xi.1964, 1 ♂ 4 ♀♀, (ma), A. Eve. lgt., P. Kment det. (NMPC). KHARTOUM: Chartum [= Khartoum], 1 ♂ 4♀♀ (ma), coll. Baum, P. Kment det. (NMPC). – YEMEN: SANA’ A GOVERNORATE: Beni Mansour vill. env., 15°06.1–4′N 43°52.8–53.2′E, 1520–1550 m a.s.l., stream valley, 3. + 5. + 19.xi.2010, 1♀ (ma), J. Hájek lgt., P. Kment det. (NMPC).
Identification. POISSON (1957e) (redescription, key, figures), J. T. POLHEMUS & D. A. POLHEMUS (2000) (key, redescription, figures); WRANIK (2003) (habitus photo); ANDERSEN & WEIR (2004a,b) (redescription, key, figures); KANYUKOVA (2006) (key, diagnosis, figures); LINNAVUORI et al. (2011) (diagnosis, habitus photo); YANG & MURPHY (2011) (key, figure); D. A. POLHEMUS & J. T. POLHEMUS (2013) (diagnosis, figures); BERCHI et al. (2016) (key, figures).
Habitat. Species widely distributed in Socotra from the coastal to the montane zone. It was collected in a shallow pool in coastal salt-marsh at Qadub, in hygropetric conditions among wet moss on a limestone rock and in a shaded pool full of tamarind leaves next to a small brook at Homhil, in a helocrene overgrown with grass and rush, Juncus socotranus (Buchenau) Snogerup, at Tudhen (collected by suction sampler; Fig. 52), as well as on various brooks from the sea coast (5 m a.s.l. at Arher; Fig. 49) to Hagher Mts. (1170 m a.s.l. in wadi Madar; Fig. 50), at the latter locality found in tufts of Juncus socotranus at the bank.
In East Africa, HYNES (1955) collected M. vittigera in a wide variety of habitats containing still or slowly flowing water, and over a wide range of altitudes. The bugs were most common where leaves of water lily (Nymphaeaceae) or pond weed (Potamogetonaceae) broke the surface, or where there was dense emergent herbaceous vegetation. Apterousspecimenswerefoundonlyinsuchhabitats.Winged specimens usually occurred together with the apterous ones, but were also found singly or in small numbers in other types of habitat, including temporary pools far from permanent water. In Africa, the Near East and tropical Asia the species was found in a variety of freshwater habitats, chiefly in stagnant waters with plenty of vegetation along the edges, in permanent lakes, ponds, pools, marshes, brooks, canals, irrigation dikes, and slowly running waters, as well as in temporary lakes, artifical reservoirs, fishponds, rice fields, temporary rain pools, wet slimy rock walls near waterfalls, and muddy areas near banks of freshwater marshlands. There are also a few records from brackish water in pools, estuarine habitats, and mangrove swamps with salinities of up to 5 ppt (parts-per-trillion) (JACZEWSKI 1926; LINDBERG 1959; LINNAVUORI 1964, 1971, 1981, 1986a, 1994b; WEIR 1966; YANO et al. 1982; GAPUD 1986; ANDERSEN & FOSTER 1992; ANDERSEN & WEIR 2004b; J. T. POLHEMUS & D. A. POLHEMUS 2006). Macropterous specimens are collected also at light (LUNDBLAD 1934, as M. orientalis; LINNAVUORI et al. 2011).
Distribution. Afrotropical Region: Angola (HOBERLANDT 1951a, this paper), Benin (POISSON 1951c, LINNAVUORI 1981), Botswana (JACZEWSKI 1932, no exact locality), Burkina Faso (LINNAVUORI 1981, this paper), Cameroon (POISSON 1948a, LINNAVUORI 1981), Cape Verde Islands (LINDBERG 1959), Central African Republic (LINNAVUORI 1981, this paper), Chad (LINNAVUORI 1981, this paper), Comoros (POISSON 1957d, 1959a), Democratic Republic of the Congo (BERGROTH & SCHOUTEDEN 1905; HORVÁTH 1915a; POISSON 1949 a, 1968a; LINNAVUORI 1973a), Eritrea (MANCINI 1961), Ethiopia (MANCINI 1954, 1956, 1961; HYNES 1955), Gabon (POISSON 1948a), Ghana (LINNAVUORI 1981), Guinea (HORVÁTH 1915 a, POISSON 1960b, BERTRAND 1962), Ivory Coast (POISSON 1937, 1960b, 1968b; BERTRAND 1962; LINNAVUORI 1975, 1981), Kenya (JACZEWSKI 1933, HYNES 1955, POISSON 1963), Lesotho (POISSON 1957a), Madagascar (HORVÁTH 1915a; POISSON 1963, as M. v. orientalis), Mali (this paper), Mauritania (VILLIERS 1951), Mauritius (MAMET 1957), Namibia (JACZEWSKI 1932, no exact locality; POISSON 1957a), Niger (POISSON 1950a, HOBERLANDT 1954, LINNAVUORI 1981, this paper), Nigeria (LINNAVUORI 1981), Republic of the Congo (BERTRAND 1962, POISSON 1967), Reunion (POISSON 1957b), Rwanda (HEISS et al. 2022), Senegal (JACZEWSKI 1926, POISSON 1961, POISSON & SALLIER DUPIN 1970), Seychelles (D. A. POLHEMUS & J. T. POLHEMUS 2013), Somalia (MANCINI 1939 b, HYNES 1955, SALLIER DUPIN 1973), South Africa (JACZEWSKI 1932, no exact locality; POISSON 1957a; DAMGAARD et al. 2012), South Sudan (LINNAVUORI 1971), Sudan (LINNAVUORI 1971, this paper), Tanzania (KIRKALDY 1908, as M.? proxima; POISSON 1963), Togo (LINNAVUORI 1981), Uganda (JACZEWSKI 1932, 1933), Zambia (JACZEWSKI 1932, no exact locality), Zimbabwe (JACZEWSKI 1932, no exact locality; WEIR 1966). Palaearctic Region: Europe: Albania (HORVÁTH 1924), Bulgaria (JOSIFOV 1986, BERCHI et al. 2016), Croatia (KMENT 2001, DAMGAARD et al. 2012), France (POISSON 1957e, DUSOULIER & MOULET 2014, ELDER 2017), Greece (ZIMMERMANN 1982), Italy (SERVADEI 1967, HEISS et al. 2022), Malta (SCHEMBRI 1993, CARAPEZZA & MIFSUD 2015), Montenegro (ŠTUSÁK 1980), Portugal (NIESER 1969, NIESER & MONTES 1984, KMENT 2006), Spain (POISSON 1957e, NIESER & MONTES 1984), Turkey (European part) (BANBAL & FENT 2016). The records from Romania and Moldova (ILIE & DAVIDEANU 2002) are erroneous (see BERCHI et al. 2016). North Africa: Algeria (BENSLIMANE et al. 2019), Canary Islands (LINDBERG 1953, NIESER & MONTES 1984, BAENA & BÁEZ 1990, ROCA- CUSACHS et al. 2020), Egypt (HORVÁTH 1895, 1915a; LINDBERG 1922; JACZEWSKI 1936; PRIESNER & ALFIERI 1953; LINNAVUORI 1964; GADALLA & SALEH AHMED 2000; SALEH AHMED & GADALLA 2005b), Libya (POISSON 1948b, ECKERLEIN & WAGNER 1970), Morocco (GHEIT 1995, TAYBI et al. 2018), Tunisia (NIESER 1983, CARAPEZZA 1997, SLIMANI et al. 2016). Near East: Egypt: Sinai (PRIESNER & ALFIERI 1953, GADALLA & SALEH AHMED 2000, SALEH AHMED & GADALLA 2005b), Iraq (LINNAVUORI 1994b), Iran (GHAHARI et al. 2013), Israel (HORVÁTH 1913, 1915a; LINDBERG 1922; LINNAVUORI 1960; FURTH 1983; HEISS et al. 2022), Jordan (KATBEH et al. 2000, CARAPEZZA 2002), Lebanon (HORVÁTH 1915a), Oman (AUKEMA et al. 2013, no exact locality), Saudi Arabia (BROWN 1951, LINNAVUORI 1986a), Socotra (WRANIK 2000, 2003), United Arab Emirates (LINNAVUORI et al. 2011), Turkey (Asian Part) (HOBERLANDT 1952, FENT et al. 2011), Yemen (BROWN 1951; LINNAVUORI 1989b; LINNAVUORI & VAN HARTEN 1997, 2002a). Also recorded from Syria (HORVÁTH 1929, ANDERSEN 1995, DAMGAARD et al. 2012), however, the original records we traced refer to Israel (HORVÁTH 1913, 1915a). East Palaearctic: China (CHEN & ANDERSEN 1993, CHEN et al. 1993, JORIGTOO & QI 1996, HUA 2000), Japan (MIYAMOTO 1964, HAYASHI et al. 2016, HAYASHI & MIYAMOTO 2018), Korea (MIYAMOTO & C. E. LEE 1963, as M. orientalis; C. E. LEE & KWON 1991; C. E. LEE et al. 1993; S. LEE et al. 2013), Russia (Far East) (KANYUKOVA 1979), Taiwan (HORVÁTH 1915a, YANO et al. 1982). Oriental Region: Bangladesh (DISTANT 1910, as M. mulsanti), Cambodia (D. A. POLHEMUS 2017, ZETTEL et al. 2017), India (incl. Andaman and Nicobar Islands) (DISTANT 1910, as M. mulsanti; HORVÁTH 1915a; LUNDBLAD 1934; THIRUMALAI 2002), Indonesia (KIRKALDY 1901, HORVÁTH 1915a, DOVER 1928, LUNDBLAD 1934, CHEN et al. 2005), Laos (DAMGAARD et al. 2012, no exact record), Malaysia (FERNANDO & CHENG 1974, ZETTEL & TRAN 2009, YANG & MURPHY 2011), Myanmar (BUZZETTI et al. 2006), Pakistan (HAMID & AHMED 1972, as M. orientalis), Philippines (BERGROTH 1918, ANDERSEN 1967, YANO et al. 1981, GAPUD 1986, CHEN et al. 2005, ZETTEL 2014, HEISS et al. 2022), Singapore (YANG & MURPHY 2011), Sri Lanka (DISTANT 1904, as M. mulsanti; HORVÁTH 1915a), Thailand (CHEN et al. 2006), Vietnam (NGO et al. 2016). Australasian Region: Australia: Northern Territory, Queensland, Christmas Island (CASSIS & GROSS 1995; ANDERSEN & WEIR 2004a,b; DAMGAARD et al. 2012), Mariana Islands (J. T. POLHEMUS & D. A. POLHEMUS 2000, no exact record; EVENHUIS et al. 2010), New Caledonia (DAMGAARD et al. 2012), Palau (J. T. POLHEMUS & D. A. POLHEMUS 2006), Papua New Guinea (HORVÁTH 1915; J. T. POLHEMUS & D. A. POLHEMUS 2000, 2006), Samoan Islands (J. T. POLHEMUS & D. A. POLHEMUS 2000, no exact record), Solomon Islands (D. A. POLHEMUS et al. 2008), Vanuatu (NIESER & CHEN 2005). New species for Mali.
Note. A large genetic difference was found between populations of M. vittigera from Europe and Africa on one side and populations from Australia and New Caledonia on the other side. This could be due to poor sampling in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, but it could also be due to existence of a cryptic species complex as known in some other Mesovelia (DAMGAARD et al. 2012).
description: Published as part of Kment, Petr & Carapezza, Attilio, 2022, Heteroptera (Hemiptera) of the Socotra Archipelago I: Introduction, Nepomorpha, Gerromorpha and Leptopodomorpha, pp. 475-519 in Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 62 (2) on pages 487-489, DOI: 10.37520/aemnp.2022.026, http://zenodo.org/record/7617020