Mesovelia melanesica J. Polhemus & D. Polhemus, 2000

Jehamalar, E. Eyarin, Chandra, Kailash & Polhemus, Dan A., 2019, Review of the Mesovelia horvathi species complex (Hemiptera: Gerromorpha: Mesoveliidae), with the description of seven new species from India, Zootaxa 4651 (3), pp. 471-496 : 491

Mesovelia melanesica J. Polhemus & D. Polhemus, 2000

( Figs. 10 A–B)

2000. Mesovelia melanesica J. Polhemus & D. Polhemus, J. New York Entomol. Soc., 108(3–4), 211.

Material examined. PAPUA NEW GUINEA, NEW GUINEA, Southern Highlands Province, 13 apt. ♂, 11 apt. ♀, 3 immatures, imponded roadside stream at Moro oil exploration camp, 840 m a.s.l., 6.35694 0 S, 143.2367 0 E, water temp. 25° C., 24.iii.1994, 14:00–15:00 hrs., CL 7024, Coll. D. A. Polhemus ( BPBM) . INDONESIA, NEW GUINEA, Irian Jaya Province [= Papua Province], 1 apt. ♂, 1 apt. ♀, tributary to Tirawiwa River , 4.5 km. N. of PTFI Siewa exploration camp along old logging road, 55 m a.s.l., 3.00972 0 S, 136.3494 0 E, water temp. 26° C., 12.iv.1998, 09:30–12:30 hrs., CL 7095, D. D. A. Polhemus ( BPBM) .

Comparative notes. Mesovelia melanesica conforms to our definition of the M. horvathi species complex, possessing character states definitive for the group including paired, sublateral setal tufts on the terminal male abdomen ( Fig. 10A ); a strongly bent male paramere ( Fig. 10B ); and an apicolateral excavation on the abdominal segment VIII of male ( Fig. 10A ). The species was originally described from a series of 9 specimens taken on Biak Island, off northwestern New Guinea (J. Polhemus & D. Polhemus 2000), with paratypes from other scattered locations on New Guinea proper, both north and south of the central mountains, but excluding the Papuan Peninsula.

Although widespread, this species is generally localized and uncommon, being far less regularly encountered in New Guinea than is M. subvittata , with which it is syntopic. It can be easily distinguished from this latter species by its color pattern (J. Polhemus & D. Polhemus 2000), and by the much smaller number of spinelike setae (only 3–4) in each of the paired tufts on the male terminal abdomen (segment VIII), with the bases of these tufts being covered by the posterior margin of segment VII. Ecologically, M. melanesica seems to prefer lentic habitats, including rain forest pools, sago swamps, and imponded sections of streams between 0 and 850 m elevation.

Distribution. Australasian Region: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea (J. Polhemus & D. Polhemus 2000).

Figures

FIGURES 10. A–B. Mesovelia melanesica Polhemus & Polhemus.A, eighth abdominal segment of apterous male, lateral view; B, genital capsule of apterous male, lateral view; C, Distribution of confirmed populations of Mesovelia horvathi on Sumatra and Java. Data from Lundblad (1933) and subsequent surveys by J. T. and D. A. Polhemus in 1985 and 1991; D and E, fore and mid femora apterous male, ventral view, D, M. dilatata sp. nov., E, M. bispinosa sp. nov.