Laccotrephes is a genus of water scorpion belonging to the family Nepidae.[1] They are carnivorous insects that hunt near the water surface. They are not aggressive, but may inflict a painful bite if not handled carefully, which may cause a local reaction.[2] There are about 60 species found in shallow stagnant or slow-moving waters in warm parts of Africa, Asia and Australia.[3][4]
Anatomy
Laccotrephes species in South Africa
They are dark brown to rufous brown, elongate and flattened, aquatic insects with hooked raptorial forelegs and a long, thin tube (or siphon) protruding from the tip of the abdomen.[2] The respiratory siphon consists of two filaments which are extensions of the eighth abdominal tergum. These in unison form an air duct which takes in air from above the water surface (similar to a snorkel). Air is fed via the tracheal system and spiracles on the dorsum of the first abdominal segment to an air store under the elytra.[5]
Populations
The genus contains two distinguishable assemblages, with respectively Afrotropical and Indomalayan-Australasian centers of diversity.[3] The two assemblages overlap only in Iran. Morphology of the male paramere is important in distinguishing species.
^ abPolhemus, John T.; Keffer, Steven L. (Spring 1999). "Notes on the Genus Laccotrephes Stål (Heteroptera: Nepidae) in the Malay Archipelago, with the Description of Two New Species". Journal of the New York Entomological Society. 107 (1): 1–13. JSTOR25010286.
^"Laccotrephes tristis". The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
^Schaefer, edited by Carl W.; Panizzi, Antônio Ricard (2000). Heteroptera of Economic Importance. Hoboken: CRC Press. p. 583. ISBN9781420041859. {{cite book}}: |first1= has generic name (help)
External links
Media related to Laccotrephes at Wikimedia Commons
