Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5719 No. 4: 14 Nov. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-11-14
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5719.4.6
Page range: 579-589
Abstract views: 40
PDF downloaded: 3

Limnogonus poissoni (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerridae): first record from the Socotra Archipelago with descriptions of 3rd, 4th and 5th larval instars

Department of Entomology; National Museum of the Czech Republic; Cirkusová 1740; CZ-193 00 Praha 9 – Horní Počernice; Czech Republic
Department of Forest Botany; Dendrology and Geobiocoenology; Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology; Mendel University in Brno; Lesnická 3; CZ-61300 Brno; Czech Republic
Hemiptera Heteroptera Gerromorpha Gerridae larva new record zoogeography Socotra Yemen Afrotropical Region Palaearctic Region

Abstract

The fauna of aquatic, semi-aquatic and ripicolous true bugs of the infraorders Nepomorpha, Gerromorpha and Leptopodomorpha of the Socotra Archipelago (Yemen) currently includes nine families and 19 species. Here we add the first record of the Afrotropical pond skater Limnogonus (Limnogonoides) poissoni Andersen, 1975 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerridae: Gerrinae: Gerrini) based on specimens from Socotra Island. The 3rd, 4th and 5th instars are described for the first time and compared to the known larvae of the nominotypical subgenus Limnogonus Stål, 1868 sensu stricto. Notes on the habitat in Socotra are included.

 

References

  1. Andersen, N.M. (1975) The Limnogonus and Neogerris of the Old World with character analysis and a reclassification of the Gerrinae (Hemiptera: Gerridae). Entomologica Scandinavica Supplementum, 7, 1–96.
  2. Andersen, N.M. (1995) Cladistics, historical biogeography, and a checklist of gerrine water striders (Hemiptera, Gerridae) of the World. Steenstrupia, 21, 93–123.
  3. Andersen, N.M. & Weir, T.A. (1997) The gerrine water striders of Australia (Hemiptera: Gerridae): Taxonomy, distribution and ecology. Invertebrate Taxonomy, 11, 203–299. https://doi.org/10.1071/IT95047
  4. Batelka, J. (2012) Socotra Archipelago – a lifeboat in the sea of changes: advancement in Socotran insect biodiversity survey. In: Hájek, J. & Bezděk, J. (Eds.), Insect Biodiversity of the Socotra Archipelago. Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, 52 (Supplementum 2), 1–26.
  5. Brinkhurst, O. (1959) A description of the nymphs of British Gerris species (Hemiptera-Heteroptera). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of London, Series A, 34, 130–136. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3032.1959.tb00248.x
  6. Carapezza, A. & Kment, P. (2024) Shibhonia buxanthi, a new genus and species of dorsally punctate Mirini from the island of Socotra (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae). Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, 64 (2), 355–363. https://doi.org/10.37520/aemnp.2024.026
  7. Cheng, L. & Lewin, R.A. (1971) An interesting marine insect, Rheumatobates aestuarius (Heteroptera: Gerridae), from Baja California, Mexico. Pacific Insects, 13, 333–341.
  8. Cheng, L. & Maxfield, L. (1980) Nymphs of two sea-skaters, Halobates robustus and H. micans (Heteroptera: Gerridae). Systematic Entomology, 5, 43–47. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3113.1980.tb00397.x
  9. Cheung, C. & DeVantier, L. (2006) Socotra – A Natural History of the Islands and their People. Van Damme, K. (Ed.), Odyssey Books and Guides, Airphoto International Ltd., Hong Kong, 408 pp. [ISBN: 13: 978-962-217-770-3]
  10. Damgaard, J., Moreira, F.F.F., Weir, T. & Zettel, H. (2014) Molecular phylogeny of the pond skaters (Gerrinae); discussion of the fossil record and a checklist of species assigned to the subfamily (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerridae). Insect Systematics and Evolution, 45, 251–281 + S1–S43. [on-line supplement with catalogue of Gerrinae] https://doi.org/10.1163/1876312X-44042105
  11. Gnezdilov, V.M. & Malenovský, I. (2023) First record of the planthopper tribe Adenissini (Hemiptera: Caliscelidae) from Socotra Island, with description of a new genus and two new species. European Journal of Taxonomy, 888, 46–63. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2023.888.2207
  12. Hájek, J. & Bezděk, J. (Eds.) (2012) Insect biodiversity of the Socotra Archipelago. Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, 52 (Supplementum 2), i–vi + 1–557.
  13. Hájek, J. & Bezděk, J. (Eds.) (2014) Insect biodiversity of the Socotra Archipelago II. Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, 54 (Supplementum 2), i–vi + 1–440.
  14. Hájek, J. & Bezděk, J. (Eds.) (2017a) Insect biodiversity of the Socotra Archipelago III. Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, 57 (Supplementum), i–vi + 1–225.
  15. Hájek, J. & Bezděk, J. (Eds.) (2017b) Insect biodiversity of the Socotra Archipelago – underlined and counted. Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, 57 (Supplementum), 1–39. https://doi.org/10.1515/aemnp-2017-0105
  16. Hájek, J. & Bezděk, J. (2019) Annotated catalogue of beetles (Coleoptera) of the Socotra Archipelago. Zootaxa, 4715 (1), 1–76. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4715.1.1
  17. Hecher, C. & Zettel, H. (1996) Faunistical and morphological notes on Limnogonus subgenus Limnogonoides Poisson, 1965 (Heteroptera: Gerridae). Linzer Biologische Beiträge, 28, 325–333.
  18. Hoffmann, W.E. (1936a) The life history of Limnogonus fossarum (Fabr.) in Canton (Hemiptera: Gerridae). Lingnan Science Journal, 15 (2), 289–299, pls. 13–14.
  19. Hoffmann, W.E. (1936b) Life history notes on Rhagadotarsus kraepelini Breddin (Hemiptera: Gerridae) in Canton. Lingnan Science Journal, 15 (3), 477–482, pls. 21–22.
  20. Hoffmann, W.E. (1936c) The occurrence of Limnometra gigas China (Hemiptera: Gerridae) in Hainan Island with description of the apterous form. Lingnan Science Journal, 15 (3), 489–492, pls. 23–24.
  21. Hufnagel, L. & Vásárhelyi, T. (1999) On the larvae of Cymatia rogenhoferi (Fieber, 1864) and Gerris asper (Fieber, 1860) (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha, Gerromorpha). Annales Historico-Naturales Musei Nationalis Hungarici, 91, 61–63.
  22. Irungbam, M., Irungbam, J.S., Rindoš, M., Papp Marešova, J. & Faltýnek Fric, Z. (2023) Phylogeography of the small grass yellow Eurema brigitta (Stoll, 1780) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) unveils the existence of distinct taxa within the Palaeotropics. Austral Entomology, 62 (4), 410–417. https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12665
  23. Kment, P., Carapezza, A. & Jindra, Z. (2020) Taxonomic catalogue of the family Ochteridae with description of Ochterus papaceki sp. nov. from Socotra Island and Tanzania (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, 60 (1), 23–64. https://doi.org/10.37520/aemnp.2020.003
  24. Konopko, S.A. & Mazzucconi, S.A. (2011) The immature stages of the genus Trepobates Uhler (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerridae), with an identification key to instars and the description of the nymphs of T. taylori (Kirkaldy). Zootaxa, 2733 (1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2733.1.1
  25. Lindberg, H. (1933) Über das V. Jugendstadium von Cylindrostethus Bergrothi Lindb. und Naboandelus Bergevini Bergr. sowie Beschreibung des Weibchens der erstgenannten Art. (Hem., Gerridae). Notulae Entomologicae, 13, 43–47.
  26. Linnavuori, R. (1980) Hemiptera of the Sudan, with remarks on some species of the adjacent countries. 8. Additions and corrections. Biogeography. Acta Entomologica Fennica, 36, 1–53.
  27. Linnavuori, R.E. (1981) Hemiptera of Nigeria, with remarks on some species of the adjacent countries. 1. The aquatic and subaquatic families, Saldidae and Leptopodidae. Acta Entomologica Fennica, 37, 1–39.
  28. López, T., Costas, M. & Vázquez, M.A. (1998) Ciclo biológico y estadios juveniles de Aquarius cinereus (Puton, 1869) (Heteroptera: Gerridae). Boletín de la Asociación Española de Entomología, 22, 23–31.
  29. Matsuda, R. (1962) Studies of relative growth in Gerridae. VI. Comparison of two species of Trepobates (Hemiptera: Insecta). University of Kansas Science Bulletin, 43 (3), 113–129.
  30. Nassirkhani, M., Sharaf, M.R., Mohamed, A.A. & Aldawood, A.S. (2022) Two new species of Neobisium (Ommatoblothrus) Beier from Socotra (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones: Neobisiidae). Journal of Arachnology, 50 (2), 219–230. https://doi.org/10.1636/JoA-S-21-052
  31. Padilla-Gil, D.N. & Arcos, O.P. (2010) Estadios y variación temporal de Eurygerris fuscinervis (Heteroptera: Gerridae) en los Andes de Colombia. Revista Colombiana de Entomología, 36, 300–303.
  32. Poisson, R. (1941) Voyage de M. L. Chopard en Cote d’Ivoire (1938–1939). Hémiptères aquatiques. Revue Françaised’ Entomologie, 8 (2), 77–82.
  33. Poisson, R. (1957) Hétéroptères aquatiques. Faune de France 61. Éditions Paul Lechevalier, Paris, 263 pp.
  34. Rédei, D. & Štys, P. (2016) Larva, nymph and naiad – for accuracy’s sake. Systematic Entomology, 41, 505–510. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12177
  35. Roca-Cusachs, M. & Kment, P. (2022) Joppeicus paradoxus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Joppeicidae): a new alien species in the European Union? Zootaxa, 5195 (3), 256–266. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5195.3.4
  36. Scudder, G.G.E. & Jamieson, G.S. (1972) The immature stages of Gerris (Hemiptera) in British Columbia. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 69, 72–79.
  37. Spence, J.R. & Scudder, G.G.E. (1978) Larval taxonomy and distribution of Gerris pingreensis and G. incognitus (Hemiptera: Gerridae) in British Columbia. Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia, 75, 41–45.
  38. Sprague, I.B. (1967) Nymphs of the genus Gerris (Heteroptera: Gerridae) in New England. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 60, 1038–1044. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/60.5.1038
  39. Van Damme, K. (2018) A record of Notostraca on Socotra Island and the importance of local conservation of the habitat. Zootaxa, 4446 (4), 555–566. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4446.4.8
  40. Van Damme, K., Vahalík, P., Ketelaar, R., Jeziorski, P., Bouwman, J., Morris, M., Suleiman, A.S. & Dumont, H.J. (2020) Dragonflies of Dragon’s Blood Island: Atlas of the Odonata of the Socotra Archipelago (Yemen). Rendiconti Lincei, Scienze Fisiche e Naturali, 31 (3), 571–605. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-020-00942-6
  41. Vepsäläinen, K. & Krajewski, S. (1986) Identifications of the waterstrider (Gerridae) nymphs of northern Europe. Annales Entomologici Fennici, 52, 63–77.
  42. Votýpka, J., Klepetková, H., Jirků, M., Kment, P. & Lukeš, J. (2012) Phylogenetic relationships of trypanosomatids parasitising true bugs (Insecta: Heteroptera) in sub-Saharan Africa. International Journal of Parasitology, 42, 489–500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2012.03.007
  43. Wranik, W. (2003) Fauna of the Socotra Archipelago. Field Guide. Universität Rostock, Rostock, 542 pp.

How to Cite

Kment, P. & Damme, K.V. (2025) Limnogonus poissoni (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerridae): first record from the Socotra Archipelago with descriptions of 3rd, 4th and 5th larval instars. Zootaxa, 5719 (4), 579–589. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5719.4.6