Review of the genus Rhagovelia Mayr, 1865 (Insecta: Heteroptera: Veliidae) in the Palawan biogeographic region, the Philippines

• Main Authors: Zettel, Herbert, Laciny, Alice, Freitag, Hendrik
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2020
• Subjects: Heteroptera; Veliidae; Rhagovelia; riffle bugs; new species; species groups; distribution; key; Palawan; Busuanga; Balabac; Philippines; Animal Sciences; Biology; Life Sciences
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/biology-faculty-pubs/66; http://zoobank.org/References/6963D2F4-0E08-4455-AEFC-735A912DA735
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

This paper reports eight species of Rhagovelia Mayr, 1865, from the Palawan biogeographic region, including three that are new to science. Rhagovelia minutissima Hungerford & Matsuda, 1961 (Busuanga Isl.); R. estrella Zettel, 1994 (Central Palawan Isl.); R. palawanensis Zettel, 1994 (South and Central Palawan Isl.); R. matillanoi, new species (North Palawan Isl.); and R. abbreviata, new species (North Palawan Isl.) are members of the R. sarawakensis group, which is absent from other islands of the Philippine archipelago. Rhagovelia kawakamii hoberlandti Hungerford & Matsuda, 1961 (Busuanga Isl., Palawan Isl., Balabac Isl., North Borneo) and R. gapudi, new species (Busuanga Isl., Central and North Palawan Isl.) belong to the R. papuensis group (sensu lato). Rhagovelia lansburyi Zettel, 1995 (Central Palawan Isl.) is an isolated species without clear affinity to other species groups; thus, the Rhagovelia lansburyi species group is defined. The male genitalia and the macropterous morph of R. minutissima are described for the first time. Numerous illustrations, maps, and keys to species and species groups are provided.