Microvelia (Picaultia) popovi Brown 1951
Creators: name: Kment, Petr
name: Carapezza, Attilio
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Veliidae
Microvelia
Microvelia popovi

description: Microvelia (Picaultia) popovi Brown, 1951
(Figs 38–39)
Microvelia popovi Brown, 1951: 231–233, figs 6a–d, 7a–i (original description). Holotype:♂, SaudiArabia: Hejaz, Wadi Dama (BMNH).
Microvelia (Picaultia) popovi: ANDERSEN & WEIR (2003): 339 (subgeneric placement).
Microvelia priesneri Hoberlandt, 1951b: 271–275 (original description, key). Holotype:♂ (apterous), Egypt: Alexandria (NMPC – see KMENT & KOLíNOVÁ 2014: 846). Synonymized by LINNAVUORI (1986a: 38).
Published record. WRANIK (2000, 2003): Socotra (no exact locality).
Material examined. SOCOTRA: Al Haghier [= Hagher] Mts., Scant [= Skand] Mt. env. (12°34.6′N 54°01.5′E), open helocrene in montane evergreen forest, 1450 m a.s.l., 12.–13.xi.2010, 6 ♂♂ 6 ♀♀ (ap) 1 L, J. Hájek lgt. (NMPC, MMBC, NHMW); Dixam plateau, Firmihin, small brook under Firmihin (12°28′36ʺN 54°01′06ʺE), 490 m a.s.l., 14.–15.vi.2012, 11 ♂♂ 14 ♀♀ (ap) 2 L, Socotra expedition 2012: J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart lgt. (ACPI, NMPC, MMBC, NHMW); Firmihin, [ca. 390–760 m a.s.l.], iii.1999, 25 ♂♂ 26♀♀ (ap) 2 L, W.Wranik lgt., R.Linnavuori det., P.Kment revid. (WWRG → NMPC, MMBC, NHMW); Noged, Deiqub [= Deiqab, 115 m a.s.l.], 16.ii.2000, 19 ♂♂ 16 ♀♀ 4 L, W. Wranik lgt. (WWRG → NMPC, NHMW). – SUDAN: KASSALA PROVINCE: Erkowit, 26.vi.1962, 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (ap), R. Remane lgt., L. Hoberlandt det., P. Kment revid. (NMPC).
Identification. BROWN (1951) (description, figures); HOBERLANDT (1951b, as M. priesneri) (key, description, figures); PRIESNER & WAGNER (1961, as M. priesneri) (description of macropterous form, figure); WRANIK (2003) (habitus photo); SALEH AHMED & GADALLA (2005a) (key, diagnosis, figures).
Habitat. In Socotra collected at three sites in coastal to high-montane zone (115–1450 m a.s.l.). It was found in a shaded pool on a small brook under Firmihin (490 m a.s.l.) and on a small open helocrene surrounded by dense montane evergreen forest at Skand Mt. (1450 m a.s.l.; Fig. 51). In Egypt, the species was collected among floating green algae in small artificial brackish water pools for watering goats (LINNAVUORI 1964). One macropterous specimen was collected at light in Jordan (CARAPEZZA 2002).
Distribution. Afrotropical Region: Sudan (HEISS et al. 2022; this paper). Palaearctic Region: North Africa: Egypt (HOBERLANDT 1951b, PRIESNER & ALFIERI 1953, LINNAVUORI 1960, PRIESNER & WAGNER 1961, all as M. priesneri; SALEH AHMED & GADALLA 2005a,b). Near East: Egypt: Sinai (SALEH AHMED & GADALLA 2005a), Jordan (CARAPEZZA 2002), Saudi Arabia (LINNAVUORI 1986a), and Socotra (WRANIK 2000, 2003).
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 495-496, DOI: 10.37520/aemnp.2022.026, http://zenodo.org/record/7617020