Pelocoris bipunctulus ( Herrich-Schaeffer, 1853 )

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 : 486

Pelocoris bipunctulus ( Herrich-Schaeffer, 1853)

Naucoris bipunctulus Herrich-Schaeffer, 1853 : Wanzenart. Ins., 39–40.

Pelocoris bipunctulus: Stål, 1876 : Kongl. Sv. Vet. Akad. Handl., 144.

Material examined. Itatí RS: 1 ♀, Itatí Rincón Island , 28°42.73’S, 58°6.69’W, 29.iii.2014 ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Itatí marsh, 28°42.78’S, 58°7.19’W, 29.iii.2014 ; 1 ♂, Estancia El Dorado , artificial pond, 28°45.60’S, 58°7.23’W, 31.iii.2014 . Laguna Iberá RS: 1 ♀, Lobo Cuá Stream , 28°32’52.66’’S, 57°12’38.56’’W, 2.xii.2012 ; 1 ♂, Iberá Lagoon, Fraga pier, 28°31’50.00’’S, 57°11’13.68’’W, 3.xii.2012 ; 2 ♂, Iberá Lagoon , 28°31’39,74’’S, 57°10’52,61’’W, 3.xii.2012 . San Ignacio RS: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, vehicle path, roadside marshland and ditches, 27°54.551’S, 56°53.254’W, 3.iii.2015; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, gate of “ Las 600”, roadside marshlands, 27°50.888’S, 56°53.037’W, 5.iii.2015 ; 1 ♀, road of “ Las 600” in front of Monte Grande, marshlands, 27°50.991’S, 56°53.543’W, 5.iii.2015 ; 2 ♂, 3 ♀, vehicle path, roadside ditches, 27°54’10.14’’S, 56°53’14.10’’W, 17.xi.2018; 1 ♀, Camping Monterrey, Aguará pedestrian path, marshland, 27°52’14.10’’S, 56°52’59.70’’W, 18.xi.2018 ; 1 ♀, Camping Monterrey, Aguará pedestrian path, pond, 27°52’17.46’’S, 56°52’45.18’’W, 19.xi.2018 . San Nicolás RS: 1 ♀, Carambola Stream , 28°12.165’S, 57°26.389’W, 13.xii.2013 ; 1 ♂, Carambola Stream , 28°11.878’S, 57°26.350’W, 13.xii.2013 ; 1 ♀, Carambola Stream , 28°11.605’S, 57°26.329’W, 13.xii.2013 ; 1 ♂, 5 ♀, Carambola Stream , 28°10.866’S, 57°26.224’W, 14.xii.2013 ; 1 ♀, Paraná Lagoon, 28°15.735’S, 57°26.169’W, 14.xii.2013 ; 1 ♂, Carambola Stream , 28°14.610’S, 57°26.378’W, 14.xii.2013 . Yahaveré RS: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Medina Lagoon , 28°34’35.1”S, 57°45’36.2”W, 7.xi.2015 .

General distribution. Colombia, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina ( Nieser 1975; López Ruf & Nieser 1999; Moreira et al. 2011b).

Habitat. Pelocoris bipunctulus has been found in ponds (densely or scarcely vegetated), small lakes (densely vegetated), streams and rivers ( Roback & Nieser 1974; López Ruf 1989, 1992; Melo & Nieser 2004; Torres et al. 2007).

Pelocoris bipunctulus was previously recorded from Iberá in association with Leersia hexandra , Egeria najas , Pontederia azurea and Cabomba caroliniana ( Poi de Neiff 1993, 2003). During the present study, it was collected from unshaded margins with dense floating, emergent and submerged vegetation (mainly Azolla filiculoides , Pontederia azurea , P. crassipes , Myriophyllum aquaticum , Nymphoides indica , Cabomba caroliniana , Nymphaea prolifera and Salvinia biloba ) in lentic habitats (Paraná Lagoon, Iberá Lagoon, Medina Lagoon, marshes, marshlands and ditches), and lotic habitats (Carambola Stream and Lobo Cuá Stream) in standing or slow-moving water.

Remarks. Pelocoris bipunctulus was collected together with P. politus and P. procurrens .