TY - JOUR
T1 - Taxonomic review and distribution of giant water bugs (Hemiptera
T2 - Belostomatidae: Lethocerinae) in the Palearctic, Oriental, and Australian regions
AU - Sareein, Nattawut
AU - Kang, Ji Hyoun
AU - Jung, Sang Woo
AU - Phalaraksh, Chitchol
AU - Bae, Yeon Jae
N1 - Funding Information:
We are grateful to Dr. Snejana Grozeva (Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria) for providing were taken by S. Moonmual, and photograph E by S.W. Jung. This work was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Biological Resources, funded by the Ministry of Environment (Republic of Korea; grant no. NIBR201906102), by the Korea University research grant, and partially by Chiang Mai University. L. patruelis specimens from Bulgaria, Dr. R. Janta (Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand) for providing specimens from Southern Thailand, and Mr. S. Moonmual (Kamphaeng Phet Rajabhat University, Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand) for providing specimens from Northern Thailand. We are also grateful to Mr. P. Sapewisut, Ms. P. Rahong, and Mr. C. Techakijvej (Freshwater Biomonitoring Research Laboratory, Chiang Mai University, Thailand) for field work support in Thailand, and Mr. Kyaw Kyaw Han (Hkakaborazi National Park, Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division, Forest Department, Myanmar) for field work support in Myanmar. Photographs A and B in Figure
Funding Information:
We are grateful to Dr. Snejana Grozeva (Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria) for providing L. patruelis specimens from Bulgaria, Dr. R. Janta (Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand) for providing specimens from Southern Thailand, and Mr. S. Moonmual (Kamphaeng Phet Rajabhat University, Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand) for providing specimens from Northern Thailand. We are also grateful to Mr. P. Sapewisut, Ms. P. Rahong, and Mr. C. Techakijvej (Freshwater Biomonitoring Research Laboratory, Chiang Mai University, Thailand) for field work support in Thailand, and Mr. Kyaw Kyaw Han (Hkakaborazi National Park, Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division, Forest Department, Myanmar) for field work support in Myanmar. Photographs A and B in Figure were taken by S. Moonmual, and photograph E by S.W. Jung. This work was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Biological Resources, funded by the Ministry of Environment (Republic of Korea; grant no. NIBR201906102), by the Korea University research grant, and partially by Chiang Mai University.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 The Entomological Society of Korea and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
PY - 2019/10/1
Y1 - 2019/10/1
N2 - The aim of the present study was to analyze the morphology and COI sequences of giant water bugs (Belostomatidae: Lethocerinae) that inhabit the Palearctic, Oriental, and Australian regions (i.e., three Lethocerus and a single Kirkaldyia species). Analysis revealed that both L. patruelis and L. indicus share two light stripes on the pronotum, but L. patruelis possesses narrower stripes and L. insulanus possesses an additional longitudinal narrow dark median band, whereas K. deyrolli was characterized by not having such markings. With regards to genetic analysis, the average intraspecific genetic distances of L. patruelis and L. indicus (from Palearctic and Oriental regions are 0.3 and 0.8%, respectively), but K. deyrolli which was collected from Northeast Asia, showed much higher intraspecific genetic distance (3.7%). The genetic distance between Kirkaldyia and Lethocerus (16.4–16.8%) is similar to that found between the genera of other hemipteran taxa. This study also newly reported the extended easternmost distribution of L. patruelis up to Surat Thani Province in southern Thailand. Along with K. deyrolli, which is considered threatened in South Korea and Japan, Lethocerus species have been facing threats in Southeast Asia, where they are heavily harvested and commonly sold in local markets as food. Therefore, future conservation efforts should be directed toward Lethocerus species in tropical Southeast Asia, especially the rarely found L. patruelis.
AB - The aim of the present study was to analyze the morphology and COI sequences of giant water bugs (Belostomatidae: Lethocerinae) that inhabit the Palearctic, Oriental, and Australian regions (i.e., three Lethocerus and a single Kirkaldyia species). Analysis revealed that both L. patruelis and L. indicus share two light stripes on the pronotum, but L. patruelis possesses narrower stripes and L. insulanus possesses an additional longitudinal narrow dark median band, whereas K. deyrolli was characterized by not having such markings. With regards to genetic analysis, the average intraspecific genetic distances of L. patruelis and L. indicus (from Palearctic and Oriental regions are 0.3 and 0.8%, respectively), but K. deyrolli which was collected from Northeast Asia, showed much higher intraspecific genetic distance (3.7%). The genetic distance between Kirkaldyia and Lethocerus (16.4–16.8%) is similar to that found between the genera of other hemipteran taxa. This study also newly reported the extended easternmost distribution of L. patruelis up to Surat Thani Province in southern Thailand. Along with K. deyrolli, which is considered threatened in South Korea and Japan, Lethocerus species have been facing threats in Southeast Asia, where they are heavily harvested and commonly sold in local markets as food. Therefore, future conservation efforts should be directed toward Lethocerus species in tropical Southeast Asia, especially the rarely found L. patruelis.
KW - COI gene sequences
KW - Kirkaldyia deyrolli
KW - Lethocerus indicus
KW - Lethocerus insulanus
KW - Lethocerus patruelis
KW - giant water bug
KW - new distributional record
KW - taxonomic review
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074149740&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/1748-5967.12393
DO - 10.1111/1748-5967.12393
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85074149740
SN - 1748-5967
VL - 49
SP - 462
EP - 473
JO - Entomological Research
JF - Entomological Research
IS - 10
ER -