Abstract
The aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera, consisting of the infraorders Leptopodomorpha, Gerromorpha, and Nepomorpha, comprise a significant component of the world’s aquatic insect biota. Within these three infraorders as a whole there are currently 23 families, 343 genera and 4,810 species group taxa considered valid, of which 20 families, 326 genera and 4,656 species inhabit freshwater. In addition, more than 1,100 unequivocally diagnosed species remain to be described. Aquatic Heteroptera occur on all continents except Antarctica, and are most numerous in the tropical regions, although there are many distinctly cold-adapted genera. Overall species richness is highest in the Neotropical and Oriental regions, which harbor 1,289 and 1,103 species, respectively. In comparison to these core tropical regions, species richness is significantly lower in the Afrotropical (799 species), Australasian (654 species), Palearctic (496 species), Nearctic (424 species) and Pacific (37 species) regions. Aquatic Heteroptera are notable for utilizing an exceptionally broad range of habitats, from marine and intertidal to arctic and high alpine, across a global altitudinal range of 0–4,700 m. Species may be found in almost every freshwater biotope, and many exhibit striking morphological adaptations to their aquatic environment, making them excellent subjects for ecological and biogeographic studies.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andersen, N. M., 1982. The semiaquatic bugs (Hemiptera, Gerromorpha). Phylogeny, adaptations, biogeography, and classification. Entomonograph 3: 1–455.
Andersen, N. M. & T. A. Weir, 2004. Australian water bugs. Their biology and identification (Hemiptera-Heteroptera, Gerromorpha & Nepomorpha). Entomonograph 14: 344 pp., 8 col. pls., text figs., maps.
Arnqvist, G., T. M. Jones & M. A. Elgar, 2003. Reversal of sex roles in nuptial feeding. Nature 424: 387.
Aukema, B., 2003. Recent changes in the Dutch Heteroptera fauna (Insecta: Hemiptera). Proceedings of the 13th International colloqium European Invertebrate Survey, September 2001, pp. 39–52.
Aukema, B. & C. Rieger (Eds) Catalogue of the Heteroptera of the Palearctic Region. Netherlands Entomological Society, Amsterdam, Vol. 1, xxvi + 222 pp.
Chen, P. P., N. Nieser & H. Zettel, 2005. The aquatic and semi-aquatic bugs (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha & Gerromorpha) of Malesia. Fauna Malesiana Handbook 5: 1–546.
Hebsgaard, M. B., N. M. Andersen & J. Damgaard, 2004. Phylogeny of the true water bugs (Nepomorpha: Hemiptera-Heteroptera) based on 16S rDNA and morphology. Systematic Entomology 29: 488–508.
Henry, T. J. & R. C. Froeschner, 1988. Catalog of the Heteroptera or True Bugs of Canada and the Continental United States. Brill, Leiden, New York, i–xix, 958 pp.
Jansson, A., 1977. Micronectae (Heteroptera, Corixidae) as indicators of water quality in two lakes in southern Finland. Annales Zoologici Fennici 14: 118–124.
Mahner, M., 1993. Systema Cryptoceratum Phylogeneticum (Insecta Heteroptera). Zoologica, Stuttgart, Heft 143. ix + 302 pp.
Mittermeier, R. A., N. Meyers, J. B. Thomsen, G. A. B. da Fonseca & S. Olivieri, 1998. Biodiversity hotspots and major tropical wilderness areas: Approaches to setting conservation priorities. Conservation Biology 12(3): 516–520.
Polhemus, J. T., 1985. Shore Bugs (Heteroptera, Hemiptera; Saldidae). A World Overview and Taxonomy of Middle American Forms. The Different Drummer, Englewood, Colorado, v + 252 pp.
Polhemus, D. A., 1994. Conservation of aquatic insects: Worldwide crisis or localized threats? American Zoologist 33: 588–598.
Polhemus, D. A., 1996. Island arcs and their influence on Indo-Pacific biogeography (pp. 51–66). In: Keast, A. & S. L. Miller (eds), The Origin and Evolution of Pacific Island Biotas, New Guinea to Eastern Polynesia: Patterns and Processes. SPB Publishing, Amsterdam, viii + 531 pp.
Polhemus, J. T., 2000. North American Mesozoic aquatic Heteroptera (Insecta, Naucoroidea, Nepoidea) from the Todilto Formation, New Mexico (pp. 29–40). In Lucas, S. G. (ed.), New Mexico’s Fossil Record 2. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin No. 16, vi + 284 pp.
Polhemus, D. A., R. A. Englund & G. Allen, 2004. Freshwater biotas of New Guinea and nearby islands: Analysis of endemism, richness and threats. Pacific Biological Survey Contribution 2004-004: 1–68 for Conservation International, Washington, DC.
Polhemus, D. A., J. Maciolek & J. Ford, 1992. An ecosystem classification of inland waters for the tropical Pacific. Micronesica 25: 155–173.
Polhemus, D. A. & J. T. Polhemus, 1998. Assembling New Guinea: 40 million years of island arc accretion as indicated by the distributions of aquatic Heteroptera (Insecta) (pp. 327–340). In Hall, R. & J. D. Holloway (eds), Biogeography and Geological Evolution of SE Asia. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, ii + 417 pp., 167 figs., 12 col. pls.
Polhemus, D. A. & J. T. Polhemus, 2002. Basins and Ranges: The Biogeography of Aquatic True Bugs in the Great Basin, Vol. 33. Smithsonian Institution Contributions to the Earth Sciences, 235–254.
Polhemus, J. T. & D. A. Polhemus, 2002. The Trepobatinae (Gerridae) of New Guinea and surrounding regions, with a review of the world fauna. Part 6. Phylogeny, biogeography, world checklist, bibliography and final taxonomic addenda. Insect Systematics and Evolution 33: 253–290.
Polhemus, D. A. & J. T. Polhemus, 2005. Two new genera and thirty new species of Microveliinae (Heteroptera: Veliidae) from the East Papua Composite Terrane, far eastern New Guinea. Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 147: 113–189.
Polhemus, J. T. & D. A. Polhemus, 2006. The marine Heteroptera of far eastern New Guinea and adjacent archiplelagoes (Insecta: Gerromorpha). Denisia 19: 927–982.
Polhemus, J. T. & D. A. Polhemus (in press). Global trends in the description of aquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera species, 1758–2004. Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 150(2).
Schuh, R. T., B. Galil & J. T. Polhemus, 1987. Catalog and bibliography of Leptopodomorpha (Heteroptera). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 185(3): 243–406.
Schuh, R. T. & J. T. Polhemus, 1980. Analysis of taxonomic congruence among morphological, ecological, and biogeographic data sets for the Leptopodomorpha (Hemiptera). Systematic Zoology 29: 1–26.
Schuh, R. T. & J. A. Slater, 1995. True Bugs of the World (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Classification and Natural History. Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London, xii + 336 pp.
Tomokuni, M., M. Sato, N. Ichikawa, Y. Araki & S. Nishu, 1995. Two Japanese Aphelocheirus species (Naucoridae), A. kawamurae presumably extinct and A. nawae still surviving in Hyogo Prefecture. Rostria 44: 21–25.
Acknowledgements
This project benefited greatly from the efforts of Gerry Louton and his staff at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, who entered the original manuscript world catalog of aquatic Heteroptera into electronic format. We also wish to thank the Smithsonian Institution’s Conservation Research Center, the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the National Science Foundation, all of which facilitated surveys of aquatic Heteroptera in remote areas of the world and thereby contributed to the quality of the analysis presented herein. This is a research contribution from Colorado State University, where JTP is an adjunct faculty member, and with which the Colorado Entomological Institute is affiliated.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Guest editors: E. V. Balian, C. Lévêque, H. Segers & K. Martens
Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Polhemus, J.T., Polhemus, D.A. Global diversity of true bugs (Heteroptera; Insecta) in freshwater. Hydrobiologia 595, 379–391 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-9033-1
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-9033-1