Zootaxa 2736(11): 1-16. 2011

Heleocoris (Heteroptera: Naucoridae: Laccocorinae) of Thailand, with description ofanew species

Sites, R.W.a,Vitheepradit,A.b

aDivision of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Enns Entomology Museum, Columbia, MO 65211, United States
bDepartment of Entomology, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

The genus Heleocoris in Indochina has languished for more thanacentury with no substantial history of taxonomic, biological, or ecological research since the original descriptions of the species, despite its abundance and ubiquity in streams throughout the region. This is largely because of the inability to assign specific identities to these insects and the need for taxonomic revision. Presented here isacomprehensive treatment on the taxonomy and faunistics of the four species now known to occur in Thailand, including the description of Heleocoris mcphersoni, n. sp. Diagnostic information, records from Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, ecological notes, habitus photographs, andataxonomic key to identify the four species are presented.

Keywords: Heleocoris; Indochina; Laccocorinae; Naucoridae; New species; Thailand

Raffles Bulletin of Zoology58 (2): 329-348. 2010

Recovery of the freshwater lentic insect fauna in Thailand following the tsunami of 2004

Sites, R.W.,Vitheepradit,A.

Enns Entomology Museum, Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, United States

Abstract

The tsunami of 26 December 2004 inundated the coastlines of many Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand. The force of the surge was devastating to the extent that hundreds of thousands of humans were killed, whereas the effect on non-human biota, including insects, remains largely unreported. Along the Andaman Sea coastline of Thailand, we sampled lentic (pond) habitats within the area directly affected by the tsunami and other reference ponds slightly inland to determine the rate and trajectory of community recovery following extirpation. Our first samples were taken five months after the tsunami, which marked the end ofadry season. By that time, many impacted ponds already had substantial freshwater recharge through rainfall, and conductivity had fallen to approximately 10% that of seawater. An insect community withamean richness of 20 taxa was present already, whereas the unaffected inland ponds hadamean richness of 27 taxa. insect tolerance to salinity in general appears to be greater and taxonomically more widespread than previously considered. Three additional sampling periods were spaced over the next 12 months. Two-way ANOVA tests for species richness among higher taxa revealed significant differences among sampling periods for total insecta and four orders separately (Odonata, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera), and six subordinate taxa (Anisoptera, Zygoptera, Gerridae, Notonectidae, Dytiscidae, and Chironomidae). Patterns of species richness in impacted ponds across sampling periods were evaluated with Discriminant Function Analysis separately using ordinal and family richness values. Using ordinal richness values, 55.0% of the ponds were classified to the correct sampling period, whereas when using family richness values, 92.5% of the ponds were classified correctly.Aparsimony analysis was performed to evaluate community succession and recovery trajectory. Numerous tangential trajectories are evident, suggesting that the communities of the impacted ponds are not assembling toward the taxonomic composition of the unaffected ponds, but to one or more alternative stable states. Taxonomic composition was evaluated also by clustering Jaccard's Similarity scores. On each of the four sampling dates and overall, fidelity of pond type based on the taxonomic composition is distinct, suggesting that the community in the impacted ponds has not demonstrated any signs of shifting toward that of the unaffected ponds. in addition to the evaluation of inundated and unaffected pond communities,aseries of peat swamps that had been collected in 1994 and 1995 were resampled to obtain comparable post-tsunami data. We found only 16 of the 33 taxa previously recorded and substantially fewer individuals. © National University of Singapore.

Keywords

Species Index:Anisoptera (dragonflies); Arthropoda; Chironomidae; Coleoptera; Diptera; Dytiscidae; Gerridae; Hemiptera; Hexapoda; Insecta; Notonectidae; Odonata; Zygoptera

Zootaxa 1588: 1-29. 2007

Namtokocoris Sites,anew genus of Naucoridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) in waterfalls of Indochina, with descriptions of six new species

Sites, R.W.,Vitheepradit,A.

Enns Entomology Museum, Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MI 65211, United States

Abstract

Anew genus with six new species of Naucoridae inhabiting waterfalls of Indochina are described fromadecade of aquatic insect collections in Thailand and Vietnam. Namtokocoris Sites NEW GENUS is diagnosed byapair of prominent scutellar protuberances, the prosternai midline bears an expansive, thin, plate-like carina, the forelegs of both sexes haveaone-segmented tarsus apparently fused with the tibia, andasingle claw. Prominent linear series of stout hairs occur on the hemelytra, although this attribute is not unique within the subfamily. Despite the lack of sexual dimorphism in the forelegs, this new genus isamember of the subfamily Laccocorinae, an assignment based on other characters consistent with this subfamily. Character states of this genus are compared with those of other Asian genera of Laccocorinae. The type species, Namtokocoris siamensis Sites NEW SPECIES, is widely distributed from northern through eastern Thailand in waterfalls of several mountain ranges. Namtokocoris khlonglan Sites NEW SPECIES was collected only at Namtok Khlong Lan at Khlong Lan National Park. Namtokocoris minor Sites NEW SPECIES was collected at two waterfalls near the border with Burma in Kanchanaburi Province and is the smallest species known. Namtokocoris akekawati Sites NEW SPECIES occurs in waterfalls from Kanchanaburi Province south to Ranong Province along the Burmese border. In Vietnam, Namtokocoris dalanta Sites NEW SPECIES was collected in Thac Dalanta near Da Lat in Lam Dong Province. Namtokocoris kem Sites NEW SPECIES was collected from Thac Kem,alimestone waterfall in Pu Mat National Park in Nghe An Province, as well as in Nan Province of northern Thailand. Few characters are available to distinguish among the species; however, genitalic features are reliably diagnostic. Copyright © 2007. Magnolia Press.

Keywords: Heteroptera; Namtokocoris; Naucoridae; New genus; New species; Thailand; Vietnam; Waterfall

Zootaxa 1478: 1-19. 2007

Areview of Eotrechus Kirkaldy (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerridae) of Thailand with descriptions of three newspecies

Vitheepradit,A.,Sites, R.W.

Enns Entomology Museum, Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, United States

Abstract

Three new species of Eotrechus Kirkaldy were collected from vertical rock surfaces of waterfalls in northern and central Thailand. Eotrechus siamensis sp. n. was collected at Doi Inthanon and Doi Suthep National Parks in Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand. Eotrechus elongatus sp. n. and Eotrechus romglao sp. n. were collected from waterfalls in Phu Hin Rongkla National Park in Phetchabun Province, central Thailand. These new species are described and illustrated here as is the female of Eotrechus petraeus Andersen. In addition, Eotrechus kalidasa Kirkaldy was discovered for the first time in Thailand. Finally, diagnostic and distributional information of all known species of this genus in Thailand are given.

Keywords: Eotrechus; Gerridae; Heteroptera; New species; Thailand

Annals of the Entomological Society of America100( 2): 139-151.2007

Systematics:Areview of Ptilomera (Heteroptera: Gerridae) in Thailand, with descriptions of three new species

Vitheepradit,A.,Sites, R.W.

Enns Entomology Museum, Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, United States

Abstract

Three new species of Ptilomera (P. jariyae, P. kra, and P. tennaserim) were collected from mountain streams in western and southern Thailand, and they are described and illustrated herein. These new species bring the number of described species of this genus in Thailand to seven. In addition, the winged form of P. fang Polhemus is described. Diagnoses for males and females are provided for all seven species occurring in Thailand, along with distributional records and maps.

Keywords: Gerridae; Heteroptera; New species; Ptilomera; Thailand