Notonecta sellata Fieber, 1851

Mazzucconi, Silvia Ana, Reyes, Cristina Armúa De & Estévez, Ana Lía, 2022, Aquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera (Insecta: Hemiptera) from Iberá Natural Reserve (Corrientes Province, Argentina), Zootaxa 5104 (4), pp. 451-505 : 491

Notonecta sellata Fieber, 1851

Notonecta sellata Fieber, 1851 : Abh. Königl. Böhm. Ges. Wiss., 478.

Material examined. Itatí RS: 1 ♀, Potrero Becasina, flood-prone areas in front of the ranger’s house, 28°44.93’S, 58°7.53’W, 30.iii.2014; 2 ♀, Estancia El Dorado, pond, 28°45.13’S, 58°7.40’W, 30.iii.2014. Laguna Iberá RS: 1 ♀, San Antonio channel, 28°35’26.69’’S, 57°10’27.81’’W, 1.xii.2012; 1 ♀, Lobo Cuá Stream, 28°32’44.64’’S, 57°12’15.21’’W, 2.xii.2012; 1 ♂, Iberá Lagoon, Fraga pier, 28°31’50.00’’S, 57°11’13.68’’W, 3.xii.2012; 1 ♀, Colonia Carlos Pellegrini, light trap, 1.xii.2012.

General distribution. Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay ( Moreira et al. 2011b).

Habitat. Notonecta sellata has been found in the margins of pools (including urban rain pools without aquatic vegetation), ponds (with dense aquatic vegetation), lagoons (including urban lagoons without aquatic vegetation), marshlands (with dense aquatic vegetation) and artificial channels, exposed to sunlight ( Fontanarrosa et al. 2004; Fernández & López Ruf 2006; Muzón et al. 2006; Torres et al. 2007). It has also been collected in lotic habitats in standing or slow-moving water along the margins of streams (sometimes without aquatic vegetation) and rivers, with emergent and submerged vegetation ( Bachmann 1962c; Nieser 1968, 1970b; Fernández & López Ruf 2006; Muzón et al. 2006).

At the INR, specimens were collected from the margins of the Iberá Lagoon in shallow waters with emergent and floating vegetation (Estévez et al. 2003). During the present study, it was collected from margins with dense floating, emergent and submerged vegetation and organic debris in lentic habitats (Iberá Lagoon, ponds, flood-prone areas and artificial channels) and lotic habitats (Lobo Cuá Stream), in unshaded areas. One specimen was taken at light in Laguna Iberá Ranger Station.