Rhagovelia Mayr 1865
Creators: name: Zettel, Herbert
name: Laciny, Alice
name: Freitag, Hendrik
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Veliidae
Rhagovelia

description: Key to the species of Rhagovelia in the Palawan region   
 1. Anterior margin of pronotum entirely yellowish; connexival margin yellowish (Figs. 5A–D, 6A–C). Pronotum of apterous morph much longer than eye length, with strongly convex hind margin, covering most of mesonotum (e.g., Fig. 5A). Forewing blackish with light streak at base (e.g., Fig. 5C). Body length 2.8–3.9 mm. (III. R. papuensis group)...................................2   
 – Pronotum black, with short orange or yellowish mark anteriorly; connexival margin black (Figs. 1A–D, 2A–D, 3A–F, 4A–C). Pronotum of apterous morph shorter than eye length, with straight hind margin; mesonotum largely exposed (e.g., Fig. 1A). Forewing without light streak at base (e.g., Figs. 3F, 4C). Body length 1.9–2.9 mm, except 3.3–3.5 mm in the females of R. lansburyi.........................................................................3   
 2. Anterior part of head black (not in freshly moulted specimens). Tergites 7 and 8 without shiny areas. Juga (pair of plates at sides of labrum and rostrum base) with small black spinulae. Paramere of male distally broad, truncate (Fig. 7G). Apterous female with connexival margins widely separated all over length (Fig. 5B). Common and widespread in the region, also on Borneo........................................ R. kawakamii hoberlandti   
 – Anterior part of head (in frontal view) usually pale orange to brown, rarely blackish. Juga without spinulae. Apterous specimens with shiny areas on tergites 7 and 8 (more distinct in female). Paramere of male distally slender, with small ventrally directed lobe (Fig. 7H). Connexival margin of apterous female strongly convergent near apex (Figs. 6B, 10G). Widespread in the region............................................. R. gapudi, new species   
 3. Stout species, strongly dimorphic; female much larger than male, in apterous morph 3.03–3.34 mm vs. 2.34–2.63 mm. Male with modified foreleg (Fig. 4A), protibia with distinct bend at distal fourth. In male, dentition of metafemur reduced; in female, metafemur without dentition (Fig. 4B). (II. R. lansburyi group)..................................................................... R. lansburyi   
 – Usually slender; if stout, then much smaller. Body length 1.9–2.6 mm. Foreleg of males not modified, protibia more or less straight. In males, dentition of metafemur prominent (e.g., Fig. 9A, C, D); in female reduced, but always present (e.g., Fig. 9B, E). (II. R. sarawakensis group)................................4   
4. Abdomen without spike-like setae. Sternites 3–6 (7) of male with sharp median carina. Mesofemur of female with short patch of long setae at depression on distal third....................5  
 – Connexiva (and in apterous specimens also anterior tergites) with numerous short and stout, spike-like setae (Fig. 10A). Sternites 3–5 of male without sharp median carina (a very obtuse carina present in R. palawanensis). Mesofemur of female with brush of long setae in distal half......................................................6   
 5. Very stout species (Fig. 3C, E); in female, abdomen strongly shortened, upcurved in apterous morph. In male, median carina on sternite 7 reduced, weaker than on sternites 3–6. Species from North Palawan...................... R. abbreviata, new species – Species of normal shape (Fig. 3A, B). Abdomen of female not shortened. In male, median carina on sternite 7 prominent, accentuated by paired impressions, stronger than on sternites 2–6. Species from Central Palawan......................... R. estrella   
 6. Mesocoxa, mesotrochanter, and metafemur entirely black (Fig. 1C, D). Species from South and Central Palawan........................................................................................... R. palawanensis   
– Mesocoxa, base of mesotrochanter, and base of metafemur yellow (Figs. 1A, B, 2A–D)...................................................7  
 7. Spike-like setae sparse, in apterous male scattered from mesonotum to tergite 5, in apterous female until tergite 2, rarely forming a transverse row on tergite 1. Segment 8 of male ventrally convex. Apterous female without distinct constriction at base of sternite 7. Female without distinct hair tuft on connexival corner. Species from Busuanga Island................................................................................. R. minutissima   
 – Spike-like setae numerous, in apterous male from mesonotum to tergite 7, in apterous female until tergite 4, with distinct transverse row on tergite 1. Segment 8 of male ventrally flat. Apterous female with strong constriction at base of sternite 7. Female with distinct tuft of black hairs at connexival corner (Fig. 10A; indistinct in some macropterous individuals). Species from North Palawan....................... R. matillanoi, new species
description: Published as part of Zettel, Herbert, Laciny, Alice & Freitag, Hendrik, 2020, Review of the genus Rhagovelia Mayr, 1865 (Insecta: Heteroptera: Veliidae) in the Palawan biogeographic region, the Philippines, pp. 810-837 in Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 68 on pages 812-813, DOI: 10.26107/RBZ-2020-0092, http://zenodo.org/record/5350725