Sigara platensis Bachmann, 1962

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 : 480-481

Sigara platensis Bachmann, 1962

Sigara platensis Bachmann, 1962b : Acta Zool. Lilloana, 139–141.

Material examined. Galarza RS: 1 ♂, light trap, 16–18.iv.2013. Itatí RS: 1 ♀, Estancia El Dorado , artificial pond, 28°45.60’S, 58°7.23’W, 28.iii.2014 ; 1 ♂, 3 ♀, Potrero Becasina , flood-prone areas in front of the ranger’s house, 28°44.93’S, 58°7.53’W, 30.iii.2014 ; 1 ♀, Estancia El Dorado , pond, 28°45.13’S, 58°7.40’W, 30.iii.2014 ; 2 ♂, 3 ♀, Estancia El Dorado , artificial pond, 28°45.60’S, 58°7.23’W, 31.iii.2014 . Laguna Iberá RS: 1 ♂, 14 ♀, Fernández Lagoon, 11.xii.2014; 1 ♀, Iberá Lagoon , 28°34’3.94’’S, 57°11’22.15’’W, 1.xii.2012 ; 2 ♂, 3 ♀, San Antonio channel, 28°35’26.69’’S, 57°10’27.81’’W, 1.xii.2012 ; 3 ♂, 2 ♀, Lobo Cuá Stream , 28°32’44.64’’S, 57°12’15.21’’W, 2.xii.2012 ; 3 ♂, 7 ♀, Iberá Lagoon , Fraga pier, 28°31’50.00’’S, 57°11’13.68’’W, 3.xii.2012 ; 3 ♂, 6 ♀, Colonia Carlos Pellegrini, light trap, 1.xii.2012 ; 1 ♀, Iberá Lagoon , sample 1, 2.xii.2012 ; 2 ♂, 50 ♀, Colonia Carlos Pellegrini, light trap, 2.xii.2012; 1 ♂, Baletón San Pedro, 3.xii.2012 ; 1 ♂, Colonia Carlos Pellegrini , light trap, 3.xii.2012 ; 1 ♀, route 40, roadside pond and ditches, 28°33’53.90’’S, 57°12’59.40’’W, 15.ii.2018; 1 ♂, light trap, 28°32’48.65’’S, 57°11’48.015’’W, 16.ii.2018; 1 ♂, 3 ♀, route 40, roadside pond, 17.ii.2018; 2 ♀, light trap, 28°32’48.65’’S, 57°11’48.015’’W, 17.ii.2018. San Nicolás RS: 1 ♀, Carambola Stream , 28°10.866’S, 57°26.224’W, 14.xii.2013 . Yahaveré RS: 49 ♂, 143 ♀, Medina Lagoon, 11–13.xii.2014; 1 ♀, Concepción de Yaguareté Corá , route 22, roadside marshes, 28°23’16.3”S, 57°54’25.6”W, 5.xi.2015 ; 8 ♂, 6 ♀, Paso Cardozo , roadside marshes, 28°23’47.0”S, 57°52’36.2”W, 6.xi.2015 ; 3 ♂, Campo Angelita , roadside marshes, 28°25’16.3S, 57°49’40.8”W, 6.xi.2015 ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Campo Angelita , roadside marshes, 28°25’40.9”S, 57°49’12.3”W, 6.xi.2015 ; 1 ♀, Concepción de Yaguareté Corá , house for researchers, swimming pool, 28°23’25.7”S, 57°53’15.9”W, 8.xi.2015 ; 4 ♀, Concepción de Yaguareté Corá, house for researchers, light trap, 28°23’25.7”S, 57°53’15.9”W, 6–7.xi.2015 . On the road to Itatí RS : 3 ♀, Mercedes Department , Pay Ubre Grande Stream, Provincial Route 29, 25 km NW Mercedes, 25.ix.2003 .

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

Habitat. Sigara platensis has been found in pools (including temporary ones), lagoons, marshlands, streams and rivers ( Bachmann 1962c; Fontanarrosa et al. 2004; Melo & Nieser 2004; Fernández & López Ruf 2006; Torres et al. 2008). It has also been taken at lights ( Bachmann 1981). This species seems to prefer temporary habitats with scarce or no vegetation, and with a great quantity of sedimented organic matter ( Bachmann 1981).

At the INR, S. platensis was collected from the margins of the Iberá Lagoon in shallow waters with emergent and floating vegetation (Estévez et al. 2003) and in Iberá in association with Leersia hexandra , Salvinia biloba , Egeria najas Planch. and Cabomba caroliniana ( Poi de Neiff 1984, 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 , P. cordata , Hydrocleys nymphoides , Nymphoides indica , Myriophyllum aquaticum , Sagittaria montevidensis Cham & Schltdl. and Salvinia biloba ) in ponds (including artificial ones), lagoons (Fernández, Iberá and Medina lagoons), ditches, marshes, flood-prone areas, channels and streams (Carambola and Lobo Cuá streams). Sigara platensis was also collected in standing or slow-moving water along the margins without aquatic vegetation of Pay Ubre Grande Stream, in shaded places. Additional specimens of this species were taken at lights in Colonia Carlos Pellegrini, Concepción de Yaguareté Corá, Galarza Ranger Station and Laguna Iberá Ranger Station, and collected in a swimming pool in Concepción de Yaguareté Corá.

Remarks. Sigara platensis was often collected together with S. chrostowskii . It was first recorded from INR (Galarza Lagoon) by Poi de Neiff (1984).