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Type: Article
Published: 2026-05-21
Page range: 151-187
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The genus Limnogonus Stål (Hemiptera: Gerridae) in North America, with the description of a new species

Bio-West; San Marcos; Texas; United States; Institute of Environment; Florida International University; Miami; Florida; United States
Hemiptera Gerrinae Gerrini Gerromorpha Heteroptera Neotropical Region taxonomy water strider

Abstract

Water striders of the genus Limnogonus Stål, 1868 (Insecta: Hemiptera: Gerridae) occur in lentic and calmer lotic habitats across much of the tropics and into the subtropics. In the Americas, there is a long history of confusion over the identity and ranges of the species. Here, I present a review of the genus in North America including the Caribbean based on collection of new specimens from the United States and review of museum specimens. Limnogonus macroconfusus sp. nov. is distinguished based on external and internal morphological characteristics from L. franciscanus (Stål, 1859), which is redescribed, and the distribution of L. recens Drake and Harris, 1934 is updated. This paper includes images of adults and nymphs, measurements, a key to the species occurring in the region, and a discussion on the similarity among species and history of records of the genus in the northern Neotropics.

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How to Cite

Pintar, M.R. (2026) The genus Limnogonus Stål (Hemiptera: Gerridae) in North America, with the description of a new species. Zootaxa, 5814 (2), 151–187. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5814.2.1