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]

Laccotrephes
Laccotrephes pfeiferiae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Superfamily: Nepoidea
Family: Nepidae
Subfamily: Nepinae
Genus: Laccotrephes
Stål, 1866

Anatomy

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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

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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.

Species

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Two Laccotrephes japonensis

The following are included in BioLib.cz:[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b BioLib.cz: "Laccotrephes" Stål, 1866 (retrieved 11 January 2021)
  2. ^ a b "Laccotrephes (Laccotrephes) tristis (Stål, 1854)". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  3. ^ a b Polhemus, 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. JSTOR 25010286.
  4. ^ "Laccotrephes tristis". The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  5. ^ Schaefer, edited by Carl W.; Panizzi, Antônio Ricard (2000). Heteroptera of Economic Importance. Hoboken: CRC Press. p. 583. ISBN 9781420041859. {{cite book}}: |first1= has generic name (help)
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