Rhagovelia palawanensis Zettel, 1994

Zettel, Herbert, Laciny, Alice & Freitag, Hendrik, 2020, Review of the genus Rhagovelia Mayr, 1865 (Insecta: Heteroptera: Veliidae) in the Palawan biogeographic region, the Philippines, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 68, pp. 810-837 : 815

Rhagovelia palawanensis Zettel, 1994

( Figs. 1C, D , 7B , 11B , 12A )

Rhagovelia minutissima (misidentifications; nec minutissima Hungerford & Matsuda, 1961 ) – Andersen, 1967: 274, 276; Polhemus & Polhemus, 1988: 165.

Rhagovelia palawanenis Zettel, 1994b: 40–44 ; Chen et al., 2005: 439.

Material reported by Zettel (1994b). Holotype (apterous male, NHMW) from central Palawan, 7 km N Narra, Estrella Falls . Paratypes ( NHMW, FMNH, NCTN, UPLB, ZMUC): 46 apterous males, 9 macropterous males, 36 apterous females, 2 macropterous females, collected with the holotype; 52 apterous males, 53 apterous females from central Palawan, 9 km W Puerto Princesa , Iwahig, Balsahan River ; 3 apterous males, 3 apterous females from central Palawan, 20 km WSW Puerto Princesa , Montible River ; 2 apterous males, 1 macropterous male, 6 apterous females from central Palawan, 20 km W Puerto Princesa , Tacduan Area, Tacduan River ; 2 apterous males, 1 apterous female from southern Palawan, 10 km NE Quezon , Tumarbon Falls ; 1 apterous male, 2 apterous females from southern Palawan , Brooke’s Point, Makagwa, Noona Dan Expedition; 6 apterous males, 6 apterous females from southern Palawan, 12 km S Brooke’s Point, Cabangaan, Tamlang River.

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus of Rhagovelia species. A, R. minutissima, apterous male; B, R. minutissima, apterous female; C, R. palawanensis, apterous male; D, R. palawanensis, apterous female.

Fig. 7. Left parameres of Rhagovelia species, lateral view. A, R. minutissima; B, R. palawanensis; C, R. matillanoi, new species; D, R. estrella; E, R. abbreviata, new species; F, R. lansburyi; G, R. kawakamii hoberlandti; H, R. gapudi, new species.

Fig. 11. Area and distribution maps of Rhagovelia species. A, overview of the Palawan Region with major islands and towns, insert showing the location of the area within the Philippines as well as the northern part of Borneo belonging to Malaysia; B, allopatric distribution of the species of the R. sarawakensis group related with R. minutissima; C, allopatric distribution of the species of the R. sarawakensis group related with R. estrella; D, distribution of R. lansburyi; E, distribution of R. kawakamii hoberlandti; F, distribution of R. gapudi, new species.

Fig. 12. Habitats. A, a larger river at Napsan Road, kilometre 29, with high water level after heavy rain; R. palawanensis and R. estrella were recorded in quieter rock pools and between flooded vegetation. B, a small streamlet at Calatoboc Bridge over Northern National Highway was inhabited by R. kawakamii hoberlandti and R. gapudi, new species. Whereas the first species is euryoecious, R. gapudi, new species, prefers such small running waters.