Taxonomy and Ecological Aspects of Aquatic Insects

Abstract

A faunistic and taxonomic account of the aquatic Hemiptera and Coleoptera of greater Rajshahi district is given on the basis of two years survey. In all, 59 species representing 30 •genera under 17 subfamilies and 11 families are recorded. These are: Hemiptera - eight families with 16 genera and 32 species and Coleoptera - three families with 14 genera and 27 species. Amongst the Hemiptera new records of for the present territory are : Limnogonus (Limnogonus) fossarum (Fabricius); Naboandelus signatus Distant; Rhagadotarsus kraepelini (Bredd.); Ranatra digitata Hafiz & Pradhan; Ranatra sp.; Ranatra varipes var. atropha Montandon; Cercotmetus pilipes Distant; Anisops stali Kirkaldy; and those of the Coleoptera are : Cybister sugillatus Erichson; Cybister posticus Aube; Cybister tripunctatus asiaticus Sharp; Cybister ventralis Sharp; Hydatichus fabricii Macleay; Canthydrus leatabilis (Walker); Canthydrus morsbachi (Wehncke) Hydrovatus confertus Sharp; . Laccophilus parvulus (Aube); Laccophi/us wewalki Vazirani; Guignotus flammulatus (Sharp); Dineutus (Spinosodineutus) unidentatus (Aube); Dineutus (Spinosodineutus) spinosus (Fabricius); Enochrus esuriens (walker); Enochrus rubrocinctus (Regimbart); Helochares lentus Sharp; Ranatra sp. may be a new species of the subfamily Ranatrinae. It was compared with all the oriental Ranatra groups, which are closely related to Ranatra unicolor Scott but it differs with male genitalia and other body morphometrics. Taxonomic keys of Families, Subfamilies, Tribes, Genera and Species are provided. Illustrations of important taxonomic features are provided most of the species with notes on their ecology and distribution.